University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Wednesday, December 7
Cullowhee, N.C.
5 PM
Southern Miss
3
at
2
Western Carolina (Quarterfinals)
Volleyball Advances to NIVC Final Four After Outlasting Western Carolina
12/7/2022 8:08:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
CULLOWHEE, N.C. -- The cardiac kids survived again on Wednesday night as the Southern Miss women's volleyball team downed Western Carolina (20-13, 10-6 SoCon) 3-2 (22-25, 25-15, 15-25, 25-22, 15-12) to advance to the National Invitational Volleyball Championship Final Four. The Golden Eagles (21-11, 10-6 SBC) were on life support before storming back to take the final two sets in front of a record crowd inside the Ramsey Center.
Southern Miss has its first 21-win season since 2016 and have a chance to match the 23 wins from that season if they advance to the NIVC finals. Mia Wesley and Cara Atkinson combined for 37 kills and aided the Golden Eagle offense to a .219 hitting percentage. Despite the offensive success, the Catamounts got out to an early lead after the Golden Eagles looked poised to take the first set. Western Carolina took control after the first media timeout and built a three-point lead.
A Wesley kill cut the Western Carolina advantage to one, but Bailey Hartsough answered right back. It was then Johnna Robinson and Brooklyn Poling that combined for a momentum-swinging block that Southern Miss couldn't overcome. The Catamounts escaped the first set with a 25-22 win. The start of the second set had shades of Southern Miss' 25-4 drubbing over UT Martin in the first set of its last match. Atkinson helped the Golden Eagles get out to an 11-3 lead after Western Carolina burned an early timeout. Kenzie Smith, who had a monster match, made it 12-4 after grabbing one of her career-high seven kills.
Western Carolina trailed by 11 before they showed any signs of a potential comeback and when they did show any potential threat, Smith was there to deny any hope. Freshman Cailin Demps sealed the 25-15 win with a big kill to even the match at one-all. The third set started as a slugfest with the two teams tied at six early. However, Western Carolina matched the Golden Eagles' play from the second set and went on several runs to win the third set 25-15.
Southern Miss had to win the fourth set for its historical season to continue. Well, it did just that. Tied at 10-10, the Golden Eagles utilized a 4-1 run to create some breathing room. Izzy Kronenberg accounted for back-to-back kills to make it 14-11 and force a Western Carolina timeout. Neither team could sustain a run after that until the Golden Eagle went on a 5-1 streak to make it 19-15. Atkinson pounded home a kill and then delivered an ace to move the Golden Eagle lead to five. The Catamounts rallied to make it a two-point set, but Gillian Hidalgo silenced the crowd with a kill to force the fifth set.
Wesley and Atkinson helped Southern Miss to a 3-1 lead in the fifth set, but Western Carolina quickly answered to tied it at four. It then used a 5-1 run to take a 9-7 lead after the side change. The media timeout helped Southern Miss regroup and answer with a 5-1 run of its own to pull ahead by two. An Atkinson attacking error made it 12-11, but Reagen Leinen took matters into her own hands and scored the final two Southern Miss points to send the Golden Eagles to the semifinals.
Leinen finished with 10 kills and a .409 hitting percentage to tie her career high. Smith finished with 56 assists, nine digs, seven kills and two three blocks. Megan Harris tied her career high in digs with 32 and Lindsey Legg chipped in with 16. Lauren Talbert came off the bench to finish with 14 digs and one kill.
The Golden Eagles will play the winner of Boston College and Xavier at an undetermined location on Dec. 8-11.
Follow @SouthernMissVB on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook for updates.
Southern Miss has its first 21-win season since 2016 and have a chance to match the 23 wins from that season if they advance to the NIVC finals. Mia Wesley and Cara Atkinson combined for 37 kills and aided the Golden Eagle offense to a .219 hitting percentage. Despite the offensive success, the Catamounts got out to an early lead after the Golden Eagles looked poised to take the first set. Western Carolina took control after the first media timeout and built a three-point lead.
A Wesley kill cut the Western Carolina advantage to one, but Bailey Hartsough answered right back. It was then Johnna Robinson and Brooklyn Poling that combined for a momentum-swinging block that Southern Miss couldn't overcome. The Catamounts escaped the first set with a 25-22 win. The start of the second set had shades of Southern Miss' 25-4 drubbing over UT Martin in the first set of its last match. Atkinson helped the Golden Eagles get out to an 11-3 lead after Western Carolina burned an early timeout. Kenzie Smith, who had a monster match, made it 12-4 after grabbing one of her career-high seven kills.
Western Carolina trailed by 11 before they showed any signs of a potential comeback and when they did show any potential threat, Smith was there to deny any hope. Freshman Cailin Demps sealed the 25-15 win with a big kill to even the match at one-all. The third set started as a slugfest with the two teams tied at six early. However, Western Carolina matched the Golden Eagles' play from the second set and went on several runs to win the third set 25-15.
Southern Miss had to win the fourth set for its historical season to continue. Well, it did just that. Tied at 10-10, the Golden Eagles utilized a 4-1 run to create some breathing room. Izzy Kronenberg accounted for back-to-back kills to make it 14-11 and force a Western Carolina timeout. Neither team could sustain a run after that until the Golden Eagle went on a 5-1 streak to make it 19-15. Atkinson pounded home a kill and then delivered an ace to move the Golden Eagle lead to five. The Catamounts rallied to make it a two-point set, but Gillian Hidalgo silenced the crowd with a kill to force the fifth set.
Wesley and Atkinson helped Southern Miss to a 3-1 lead in the fifth set, but Western Carolina quickly answered to tied it at four. It then used a 5-1 run to take a 9-7 lead after the side change. The media timeout helped Southern Miss regroup and answer with a 5-1 run of its own to pull ahead by two. An Atkinson attacking error made it 12-11, but Reagen Leinen took matters into her own hands and scored the final two Southern Miss points to send the Golden Eagles to the semifinals.
Leinen finished with 10 kills and a .409 hitting percentage to tie her career high. Smith finished with 56 assists, nine digs, seven kills and two three blocks. Megan Harris tied her career high in digs with 32 and Lindsey Legg chipped in with 16. Lauren Talbert came off the bench to finish with 14 digs and one kill.
The Golden Eagles will play the winner of Boston College and Xavier at an undetermined location on Dec. 8-11.
Follow @SouthernMissVB on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook for updates.
Players Mentioned
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