Need to Know
Match : Piedmont 3, LaGrange 1
Match : Piedmont 3, Covenant 0
Record: Lady Lions 15-10, 9-5 USA South
Location: Lookout Mountain, Georgia
LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN, Ga. - The Piedmont College volleyball team won twice Tuesday to advance to the semifinals of the USA South Conference tournament posting wins against West Division #5 LaGrange and top-seeded Covenant College.
The Lady Lions won 3-1 over LaGrange in the first round to advance and take on the host Covenant taking down the Scots in straight sets 3-0.
LaGrange took a 1-0 lead with a 25-20 win, but the Lady Lions evened the score with a 25-18 win in the second set. The final two sets were decided by two points each as Piedmont claimed 25-23 wins.
The win over the Panthers propelled Piedmont to a quarterfinal matchup with the host Covenant Scots. The Scots entered as the top seed in the West Division thanks to a 12-2 league record in the regular season.
Piedmont left no doubt as they controlled the match throughout with a 25-17, 25-21, 25-19 win. Piedmont trailed 20-16 in the second set but reeled off a 9-1 run to close out a 25-21 win.
In Piedmont's last four matches dating back to the final weekend of the regular season, they have beaten the #1, #2, #3 and #5 seeds from the West Division after claiming the #4 spot.
Turning Point
--Against LaGrange, the Lady Lions dropped the opening set, but rallied to win the final three taking a pair of 25-23 set wins in a close call with the Panthers.
--After trailing 20-16 in the second set against Covenant, Piedmont called a timeout and pulled off a 25-21 win to maintain momentum and cruise to a 3-0 win over the Scots.
Standout Performances
--ERICA BALKCUM tallied 15 kills against LaGrange & 14 kills against Covenant with her second and third highest kill totals for the season.
News & Notes
--Piedmont is now on a seven match win streak, their longest of the season.
--The win against Covenant moved the Lady Lions' overall record against the Scots to 9-11.
Up Next
--Piedmont will travel to Raleigh to face William Peace in the semifinals as they become the second team this fall joining women's soccer to advance to the semifinals of the USA South Tournament.
How to Follow
To stay up to date on all information regarding Piedmont College Athletics, be sure to visit PiedmontLions.com and connect with the Green and Gold on social media. Follow the Lions on Twitter: @PiedmontLions, Instagram: @PiedmontLions, and Facebook. To follow each Piedmont athletic program on social media, use the Social Media Directory at PiedmontLions.com or click here.
