FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. — FTCC volleyball topped Louisburg and USC Salkehatchie in a tri-match Saturday, extending the Trojans’ winning streak to eight matches.
The wins propelled the Trojans (13-5, 8-2) into third place in the NJCAA Region 10 Division II standings. Nationally ranked Catawba Valley CC remains in first, while Cape Fear CC, FTCC’s opponent for Tuesday’s final home match of the season, is in second.
The Trojans dropped the first set to the Hurricanes 25-20 but rallied to take the next three games by scores of 25-19, 25-23 and 25-22.
Sophomore middle Da’Nya McPhatter tallied a season-high 18 kills, finished with a .279 kill percentage. McPhatter had the Trojans’ lone solo block on the match and added two block assists.
Libero AnnMarie Miller went down in the third set when she tweaked an ankle injury suffered earlier in the season, but the rest of the Trojans’ back row picked up the slack.
Anna Grey Barbour recorded 14 digs, while setter Krislyn Bullard and Kristen Woods, who moved from defensive specialist to libero after Miller’s injury, each posted 12.
Barbour and Alissa Staton served three aces apiece, and Bullard finished the match with 40 assists.
The Trojans ramped up their attack and trimmed their errors in their second match, combining for a .268 kill percentage and just three receiving errors against USC Salkehatchie.
FTCC fended off the Indians to claim the first set 25-23 and never let up, rolling to 25-14 and 25-12 scores in the second and third sets.
Woods, in at libero, had 13 digs and no receiving errors.
Freshman Alexis Spexarth, playing the opposite side, had 11 kills and registered a .474 kill percentage on the night.
Bullard tallied 27 assists and recorded a team-high three aces.
The Trojans will host their final regular-season home match Tuesday at 6 p.m. at Horace Sisk Gymnasium against Cape Fear CC.