Need to Know
Score Match 1: Transylvania 3, Piedmont 0 
Score Match 2: Piedmont 3, Oglethorpe 2
Records:  PC 1-1, Transylvania 2-0, Oglethorpe 1-1
Location: Atlanta, Georgia - Dorough Field House

Atlanta, GA - The first win in the Jamie McCormack era for Piedmont College volleyball was one to be remembered as the Lady Lions picked up a 3-2 win over in-state rival Oglethorpe University earlier tonight.  

The victory gave PC a 1-1 showing on the day as the Lady Lions dropped a 3-0 decision earlier in the day to Transylvania University as part of the Stormy Petrel Challenge hosted by Oglethorpe in Atlanta. The Lady Lions kept it close in the first against the Pioneers falling 25-21 before Transy pulled away in the second and third, 25-17 and 25-19 respectively, for the win.  

In the second match of the day, Piedmont refused to go quietly into the night facing the tourney host Oglethorpe in what turned out to be an instant classic as Piedmont needed to rally for the W on three separate occasions.

Piedmont dropped the first set 25-20 before coming back in the second to even it up with a dominating 25-12 decision.  However, OU was able to take the third 25-18 to put PC on the brink of defeat. 

The two battled in the fourth as Piedmont trailed 23-21 staring defeat in the face, but a KATELYN DURMIRE kill kept PC in it cutting the deficit to just a single point.  It would be the first of four straight for the Lady Lions in the 4th to end it as KAITLYN LOESEL put the exclamation point on with a kill that staved off the Stormy Petrels and forced a decisive fifth set. 

In the 5th, the two went back and forth with neither leading by more than four in the set as Piedmont held a slim 13-12 lead with the home crowd urging the Stormy Petrels on.  However, as cool as the other side of the pillow, Piedmont's senior hitter AMANDA TROTTER stepped up in the key moment with a kill on an assist from EMILY PETERS that put Piedmont up two and only one point away from the win.

Moments later, Peters would put another perfect ball up for KAITLYN LOESEL this time around whose attack ended in a kill that disappointed the home crowd but sent the Green and Gold to win #1 of 2016 and the first for Head Coach Jamie McCormack. 

Turning Point
--After a loss to Transylvania earlier in the day, Piedmont was determined to not leave day one without a win fighting off the Stormy Petrels in five. However, it was a four-point run at the end of the fourth that was the critical moment as PC trailed 23-21 before rallying to force the fifth set.

Standout Performances
--HALEY HIXON had a game-high 14 digs in the first contest of the day against Transylvania before following that up with another game-high 22 against OU. 
--KATELYN DURMIRE and KAITLYN LOESEL each had ten kills to lead Piedmont in its 3-2 win over Oglethorpe. 
--Piedmont's defense at the net in the OU win as the Lady Lions posted 15 blocks compared to seven for the home team. 
--Setters EMILY PETERS and LAINEY CHOINIERE combined for 40 assists in the nightcap.

Inside the Box Score
--Both Transylvania and Piedmont put up 20-plus errors on the attack in the first match of the day, but Transy was able to put down 23 more kills than PC did. 
--Durmire's performance against OU was a thing of beauty as the veteran posted 10 kills to just one error earning a .500 hitting percentage on the evening. 

News & Notes
--The win is the second straight over Oglethorpe with OU's last win in the series coming back in 2014.
--Durmire's kill with Piedmont trailing 23-21 in the 4th set vs. OU was her 8th of the game but it was a pair of blocks in the 5th that really set the tone for her performance in the win.

Up Next
Day two of the Stormy Petrel Challenge which will see Piedmont taking on Belhaven at 2:00 pm before wrapping up the weekend with a 6:00 pm contest vs. Keystone.  Belhaven defeated Keystone 3-1 in their Friday match-up after falling to the host Oglethorpe 3-0 earlier in the day.  Keystone's other contest on Friday was a 3-0 loss to Transy.  The contests will feature live stats and video provided courtesy of the Oglethorpe Office of Sports Information.  

How to Follow
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