Volleyball Falls in Five to Armstrong

SALISBURY, NC -- Armstrong outlasted host Catawba in a grueling five-set volleyball match on Saturday afternoon at Goodman Gym.  The Pirates improve to 12-3 with the 21-25, 25-15, 20-25, 25-20, 15-12 victory.  The Catawba Indians fell to 5-6.

Jessica Santaniello (Boca Raton, FL) led Armstrong with 18 kills and 19 digs, while Ashley Seal (Orlando, FL) added 13 kills, 31 assists, six digs and a pair of blocks.  Carina Marinho (Belo Horizonte, BRAZIL) collected 16 kills.

Catawba was led by Carson Brewer (Raleigh, NC/Middle Creek HS/Cape Fear CC), who had 13 kills, seven digs, three aces and a pair of blocks.  Kaitlyn Whitmer (Ferrum, VA/Franklin Co. HS) followed with a dozen kills and eight digs.  Setter Jordan Raye (Boonville, NC/Starmount HS) handed out 35 assists with 13 digs with and eight kills.

The Lady Indians trailed the opening set 20-19, but after a Pirate service error Alli Parrish (Zebulon, NC/Smithfield-Selma HS) and Brewer had kills for a 22-19 edge.  Brewer had another kill for a 23-21 lead and a Parrish block ended the set.

Armstrong used a 9-2 run early in the second set to go up 15-9.  A five-point run later in the set, which included consecutive kills by Seal and Amanda Jones (Marietta, GA) upped the lead to 23-12.  Marinho killed the final point.

Catawba was behind 17-14 in the third set before a spark from Rachel Gallup (Fredericksburg, VA/Courtland HS) brought the Lady Indians back.  A kill and block from the freshman pulled Catawba within 17-16 and a kill from Raye put the Lady Indians on top 18-17.  A kill by Gallup and an ace from Jenny Young (Roanoke, VA/Henry HS) put Catawba up 21-17 to end a seven-point run.  Gallup and Brewer killed off the final two points.

The Pirates jumped to an early 10-4 lead in set four, but Catawba rallied to even the set at 16-all on a kill from Parrish.  Armstrong scored four straight points, capped by a kill and block from Jones, to go up 21-17.  An ace by Stephanie Sfara (Boardman, OH) closed out the set.

Armstrong raced to 5-0 lead in the fifth set.  Wolf had a pair of blocks and a kill in the quick start.  Catawba got within a point at 10-9 on a kill by Whitmer and the Pirates also answered two kills from Raye that brought the Lady Indians within a point. A kill from Jones and an error on Catawba ended the match.

The Lady Indians host Pfeiffer on Tuesday night at 6:30 in their next match.