HIGH POINT, NC – After defeating the Buccaneers last Friday to secure their spot in Big South postseason play, the sixth seed Presbyterian College volleyball team will take on the third seed USC Upstate Spartans in the quarterfinals of the Big 2024 South Conference Championship.

FINAL TIMEOUT

Last Friday, the Blue Hose defeated the Charleston Southern Buccaneers as their final game of the regular season. This win ended the Buccaneers season while earning Presbyterian their spot as the sixth seed in the 2024 Big South Championship.

GRAND SOUTH TOURNAMENT

For the first time since 2014, the Blue Hose will participate in consecutive years of Big South postseason competition. This year’s championship features the top six Big South volleyball programs, compared to just four teams in previous years. See the attached image for more information on how this year’s tournament will proceed.

GAME DAY INFO – FRIDAY NOVEMBER 22 | 6:00 PM

MATCH UP – Presbyterian (9-18, 5-9) vs. USC Upstate (13-14, 8-6)

WATCH – ESPN+

LIVE STATISTICS – Statbroadcast.com



A LOOK AT THE BLUE SNAKE
– The Blue Hose finished the regular season with a 9-18 record, earning their victories in hard-fought five-set matches against Delaware State, Temple, Southern Miss, USC Upstate and Radford, along with outright wins over SC State and Gardner-Webb (x2), and a four-set victory over Charleston Southern.
-The team is averaging a .170 hitting percentage and 10.9 kills per set. They have also shown strength at the net, with a total of 189.5 blocks (1.8 blocks per set).
– Courtney Williams leads the team offensively with 261 kills (2.49 kills per set). Julia Yurkovich isn’t far behind with 223 kills of its own with 2.35 kills per set.
– Junior setter Anna Baranski played an important role, totaling 761 assists (7.25 per set), while also being one of the team’s leaders with 325 (3.10 per set).
– Defensive, second-year winger Courtney Williams anchors the Blue Hose at the net with 81 total blocks, 17 of which were solo efforts. Elyse Hutchinson And Brittney Daphnis are close behind, adding 73 blocks each, including seven solo blocks.



SCOUTING THE OPPONENT – USC UPSTATE
– The Spartans finished the regular season with an overall record of 13-14, completing their wins over Queens, Davidson, West Georgia, Idaho, SC State, Gardner-Webb (x2), Charleston Southern (x2), Presbyterian , Radford and UNC Ashville (x2).
– Upstate has racked up 12.5 kills per set with a hitting percentage of .191.
– Junior middle blocker Ady O’Grady leads the team in kills with 269 (2.47 kills per set), while junior right Savannah Page is right behind with 249 kills (2.44 kills per set).
– Freshman setter Kamyla Vega David is the team’s playmaker with 884 assists (8.84 assists per set) this year.
– Senior libero Julia Gladhill has totaled 507 digs (4.65 digs per set) to lead the Spartans this season.
– USC Upstate leads the all-time series between the two teams 12-11. Earlier this season, Upstate defeated PC 3-1 before falling 2-3 to the Blue Hose.
– Head coach Ali Skayhan is in her second season at the helm of the Spartans.

BIG SOUTH LEADERS
Individually, Baranski ranks fourth in the conference with 7.25 assists per set. She also ranks ninth with an average of 3.10 digs per set. Courtney Williams ranks ninth in the league with a .261 hitting percentage and also ranks 10th^e with 2.49 kills per set. Brittney Daphnis contributes significantly on defense and ranks sixth in the Big South with 0.83 blocks per set. Additional, Celimar Hoyos holds eighth place in the conference with an average of 3.48 digs per set.



BLUE SNAKE DOUBLE-DOUBLE
Presbyterian players have already recorded an impressive 26 double-doubles this year. Junior setter Anna Baranski led the way, achieving double-doubles in 19 of those games, including a nine-game streak of double-digit assists and digs earlier in the season. Most recently, Baranski notched a pair of triple-doubles against USC Upstate and UNC Asheville.



Ashley Miller scored her first double-double of the season against Radford with 18 kills and 14 digs. She added another later in the season against CSU with 12 kills and 10 digs.

Senior outside hitter Hannah Rowe has also had a significant impact, with five double-doubles, including a standout performance against Southern Miss, where she recorded a career-high 19 kills and 14 digs.



BIG SOUTH WEEKLY PRICES

Ashley Miller earned the title of Big South Player of the Week on October 28 after her performances against Gardner-Webb and Winthrop. Miller played a full rotation as an outside hitter and had a remarkable weekend performance. She scored 26 kills, averaging 4.33 kills per set, and set a new career-high with 18 kills in the team’s sweep over Gardner-Webb. The sophomore also contributed nine digs, three blocks and a service ace, showcasing her versatility and impact on both offense and defense.



Celimar Hoyos earned the title of Big South Libero of the Week on October 28 after her performance against Gardner-Webb and Winthrop. Hoyos showed off her defensive skills last weekend with an impressive 36 digs (6.00 digs per set) over six sets. She also provided nine assists and a service ace, boosting her overall impact and improving the team’s performance on both ends of the court.