SWANNANOA, N.C. — Carolina University Women's Volleyball entered Friday night looking to climb back to the .500 mark as the Bruins traveled to Warren Wilson College on October 2. Carolina accomplished that goal in convincing fashion, earning a 3-0 sweep while senior libero #9 Charlee Hale reached a major career milestone.
The Bruins controlled the match from start to finish, taking the three sets 25-16, 25-13 and 25-7 to improve to 11-11 overall on the season.
The night belonged to Hale, who recorded the 1,000th dig of her Carolina University career during the victory. The senior finished the match with a team-high 15 digs, while also contributing an ace and two assists. The milestone adds another accomplishment to Hale's career with the Bruins and highlights the consistency she has brought to Carolina's back row.
Carolina delivered one of its strongest offensive performances of the season, finishing with 40 kills against just eight errors on 92 attempts for a .348 hitting percentage. The Bruins also collected six service aces, seven total blocks and 47 digs.
SarahElizabeth Samuels led the Carolina attack with 11 kills, hitting .308, while Madison Kilgore followed closely with 10 kills on 16 attempts and a team-best .563 hitting percentage among players with double-digit attempts. Rileigh Franklin added six kills while hitting .385, and Corinne Cutter contributed five kills without an attacking error.
The Bruins saved their best offensive set for last. Carolina hit an impressive .619 in the third set, recording 14 kills with only one error on 21 attempts. The Bruins held Warren Wilson to a negative hitting percentage in each of the final two sets and limited the Owls to a .000 percentage for the match.
"I'm really proud of the way our team came out and competed tonight," Head Coach Chelsea Jones said. "We played with great energy and stayed aggressive throughout the match. It was also a special night for Charlee. Reaching 1,000 career digs is an incredible accomplishment and speaks to the consistency, toughness and commitment she has shown throughout her career. We're excited to celebrate that milestone with her, and now our focus turns to an important stretch in Kansas."
Carolina now turns its attention to Continental Athletic Conference play as the Bruins travel to Hesston, Kansas, for the CAC Classic. The three-day event begins Thursday, October 8, and concludes Saturday, October 10, with Carolina scheduled to play six matches over three days.
