ASHEVILLE, NC – The UNC Asheville volleyball team will travel to High Point, NC to face Radford University in the first round of the Big South Conference Championship Tournament on Friday, November 22 at 3:00 PM.

PIN DETAILS

• (4) Radford vs. (5) UNC Asheville
• Friday November 22, 2024
• 3 p.m
• High point, NC || Millis Athletics Center
• Watch
• Live stats

REGULAR SEASONAL REVIEW

The Bulldogs finished the regular season 11-11 and 5-9 in Big South Conference play. After opening the season 0-2, the Bulldogs won their next seven games. The Bulldogs’ 7-2 start to the season was the best start in program history since a 7-2 start to the 2009 season. Asheville also earned its first conference win since 2019, when the Bulldogs opened league play with a 3 -1 win over Radford. The Bulldogs’ conference opener against Radford was Asheville’s first game after Helene. Asheville didn’t play for 23 days as the team moved and continued training to resume the season under Helene. Asheville’s first game at the Justice Center was on November 1, 52 days after their last home game. In Asheville’s homecoming match, the Bulldogs defeated Charleston Southern in three sets. Asheville closed out the conference’s opening weekend with a 3-1 win over Presbyterian on Nov. 2. The Bulldogs look to snap a five-game losing streak in their quarterfinal matchup on Friday.

The Bulldogs were led this season by Kylie Cackovićwho earned a spot on the Big South All-Conference First Team. Cackovic is the first Bulldog to earn first-team honors since 2019. The redshirt sophomore from Raleigh, NC, leads the team in kills with 288 (3.31 per set) and points at 324.5 (3.73 per set). She is second on the team with 26 service aces and 236 digs (2.71 per set). She had a career-high 24 kills, 24 points, four aces and 18 digs in Asheville’s match against Gardner-Webb on November 8. In 22 games, she recorded a double-double in 11 games.

Albertine van der Goot earned a spot on the Big South All-Academic team. The sophomore from Oosthem, Netherlands, majored in chemistry and has been a consistent presence on the field for the Bulldogs this season. She matched her career-high of 16 kills against Charlotte on September 17 and had a career-high of 19.5 points against Iona on September 14. She leads the team with 68 total blocks and is second on the team with 221.5 points and 181 kills (2.13 per set).

Michelle Thao led the team’s defense during the regular season with 426 digs (4.90 per set). She also led the team with 30 service aces. Payton Rolfsen has 589 assists, an average of 6.77 per set.

DOGS IN THE LOW SEASON

Asheville’s trip to High Point marks the first time since 2019 that the Bulldogs will attend the Big South Conference Championship Tournament. The Bulldogs’ last semifinal appearance was in 2018. Asheville is 3-3 and won its previous two games against Radford in postseason play. The last time the two teams faced each other in postseason play was in 2009.

A LOOK AT RADFORD

The Highlanders enter postseason play as the No. 4 seed after finishing 6-8 in league play. Sophie Paspal and Aubrey Hatch led the team during the regular season.

Paspal leads the Highlanders offense with 251 kills while hitting .394. She set a season high for kills with 18 against Presbyterian and had 10 or more kills in 13 games. Her 106 blocks also lead the team and rank ninth in a single season in program history.

Hatch finished with 140 kills and 45 blocks. Her 12 kills on the season at Charleston Southern helped Radford clinch a postseason berth for the first time since 2018.

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About Women’s Athletics Presenting partner First Bank

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