Box Score vs. Spelman | Box Score vs. Huntingdon

Demorest, GA -- The Piedmont College volleyball team moved to a perfect 4-0 in conference play earlier this afternoon defeating a pair of Great South Athletic Conference opponents visiting the Cave for a league tri-match.  The Lady Lions first took care of Spelman College by a straight set score of 3-0 before repeating that feat against last year's regular season champion and tournament runner-up Huntingdon College marking Piedmont's second victory against the Lady Hawks this season alone.

In today's tri-match opener, Piedmont shared the court with the Jaguars of Spelman who battled the Lady Lions in the opening set trailing 22-18 only to see PC's own Katie Byrd rattle off three straight aces to put the home team at 25 first taking a 1-0 lead in the match.  The Jags refused to give up just yet though in the second set keeping it tight throughout until the score tied up at 23-23 following an attacking error from Piedmont.

On the next rally, the Lady Lions looked to junior hitter Hallye Jerkins to pull them ahead with the veteran answering the call by pounding an Ashton Nash set straight to the floor on Spelman's side of the net to put Piedmont up 24-23.  A kill from Byrd then sealed the deal on the set's next rally with the Lady Lions winning 25-23 going up 2-0 overall in the match.

In the third set, Piedmont held a 12-7 lead early and put the clamps on defensively to allow just two more points to the Jags while rattling off eight of their to go up 20-9.  The book was all but closed as the Lady Lions went on to the 25-13 winner in three taking the match 3-0 for their third win in conference play.

Leading the Lady Lions at the net in the early going was Ashley Fannon who tallied ten kills in 15 attempts without an error to post a .667 hitting percentage representing a new season high for the sophomore from Ball Ground, GA.  Fannon also added an assist in the winning effort while sophomore Ashton Nash led the team with 15 helpers. 

After tabbing a win in the day's opener, Piedmont eyed a 4-0 start in conference with non other than last year's GSAC runner-up Huntingdon College taking the other side of the court.  However, it was the Lady Lions who would set the tone in the match's first set racing out to a 17-4 advantage before blowing HC away 25-11 for the 1-0 match lead. 

Set two would be tighter bewteen the 2010 conference finalists with Huntingdon staying within four points of the home team at 21-17 before Piedmont chalked up four straight points for the 25-17 set win.  Again looking to make a statement in the match's third set, PC took the eventual match win with another dominating set performance winning the third 25-14 for the 3-0 match victory.

Topping the kill list for PC against the Lady Hawks was a pair of hitters as Jerkins and freshman Kaitlin Norman each had nine kills.  Jerkins' numbers came from 15 total attempts for a .600 attack percentage, one of the most efficient performances of her Piedmont career, while Norman also put up a respectable .316. 

Senior Rachel Powell was also an intimidating factor at the net with eight kills in 18 attempts swinging .389 in the win while Byrd also added eight kills in just 15 tries for a .400 percentage.  Tallying 25 assists was sophomore Katheryn Knarr whose ten helpers from the day's first match combined with her afternoon totals to put the setter just ten assists shy of 1,000 in her two year career with the Lady Lions.

Junior Paige Eslinger, who was honored prior to the day's first match for collecting her 1,000 career dig in a 3-1 win over Brenau earlier in the week, continued her defensive ways picking up 37 total digs on the day. 

The Lady Lions move to 16-3 overall with the two wins while also staying perfect in league play at 4-0.  Piedmont will return to the court in a home contest with the chance to hand Head Coach Sid Feldman career win number 399 with a victory over Clark Atlanta University on Tuesday night, October 4th in the Cave.  First serve in the evening contest is set for 7:00 pm.