In a match that took nearly three hours to complete, the Lee University volleyball team outlasted Shorter University to win 3-2 Tuesday evening in Paul Dana Walker Arena.
The Lady Flames (9-10, 2-5 GSC) won each of the odd sets and the Hawks claimed the even. Lee held a 22-11 lead in the opening set before Shorter roared back with a 10-1 run to pull within two points at 23-21. Shorter (6-13, 0-7 GSC) fought off two Lee set points to tie the set at 24-24. The back-and-forth momentum continued until Quinne Daoust and Mary Katherine Givhan combined for a block to give Lee the 36-34 first-set victory.
Shorter responded with a 25-22 mark in the second set to even the score. Lee was again pushed into extra points in the third set before securing the 29-27 set win to go up 2-1. The visitors forced a fifth set with a 25-18 margin in the fourth set.
The Lady Flames grabbed an 8-4 lead early in the fifth set before Shorter responded with a 4-1 run to pull within one at 9-8. Following a Lee timeout, the Lady Flames extended their lead to 13-9 to force a Shorter timeout. Lee and Shorter split the next four points until Givhan and Bailey Kress blocked a Shorter attack to end the set at 15-11 and clinch the match.
"I think their stamina was running out a bit," said Lee head coach Andrea Hudson. "Both teams were struggling at the very end. We had to change our lineup around several times. In the end, we pieced it together and a win is a win."
Throughout the five sets there were 40 tied scores and 18 lead changes. The score was tied 15 times in the opening set and 13 times in the third set. The lead changed hands six times each in the first and third sets.
Daoust led the Lady Flames offense with 14 kills. Abby Stroh was right behind with 13 kills, while Kress was third on the team with nine. Hanna Matthews dished out 37 of Lee's 52 assists.
Four Lee players recorded over 10 digs. Micaela McMichen tallied a team-high 31 digs. Stroh had 24 digs and Daoust had 13. Calina Croy was the final Lady Flame in double-digits with 10 digs.
Shorter's Emily Wilson had a match-high 41 digs. Kendall Vondra added 21 more, while Lacee Glover (17), Gabrielle Hogle (14) and Madison Sprosty (12) gave Shorter five players with over 10 digs.
The Lady Flames accumulated nine blocks to seven for Shorter. Givhan tallied a match-high three blocks and Kress added two more. Danielle Melton led the Hawks with two blocks.
Shorter exhibited a well-balanced attack with five players finishing in double-digit kills. Mirella Gatterdam and Gracie Forbes each had 14 kills. Glover was next with 13, while Iva Luther and Melton added 12 a piece. Vondra and Hogle combined for 63 of the Hawks' 72 assists with Vondra leading all setters with 38 assists.
The Lady Flames travel to Hoover, Alabama, this weekend for the GSC/SSC Crossover. Lee battles Spring Hill College at 2:30 p.m. on Friday and conclude the weekend with matches against Florida Tech and Florida Southern College on Saturday.
"The crossover is a good time to take a break from conference and get in there and play some other competition. We're excited we get to spend fall break down there and play some good teams," added Hudson.
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