RALEIGH, NC -- William Peace University volleyball completed an impressive comeback to defeat Meredith College 3-2 in a key USA South Conference victory. The Pacers would fall in the first two sets to trail 2-0, but would battle back to win three in a row to win the match 3-2. 

THE BASICS

• Final score: William Peace 3, Meredith 2
• Records: William Peace (10-9, 5-1), Meredith (10-5, 4-1)
• Location: Raleigh, NC

HOW IT HAPPENED
Set One (15-25)
Meredith would take control early in set one, leading 8-2. A kill by Georgia Grace Anderson would cut the lead to 10-4, but the Avenging Angels would push back to lead 16-7. Kills by Kelsey Bierbauer and Shelby Cooper would bring the score to 21-11, but Meredith would continue to roll and would take set one 25-15.

Set Two (16-25)
In set two, Meredith would take the first seven points of the set to lead 7-0. A kill by Georgia Grace Anderson would cut Meredith's lead to 11-6, but the Avenging Angels would tally 5 in a row to lead 16-7. They would then take a controlling 20-11 lead, and despite good effort from the Pacers to battle back, would win set two 25-16 and take a 2-0 lead in the game.

Set Three (27-25)
The Pacers would battle back in set three, leading 4-1 early with a kill by Kelsey Bierbauer and blocks from Nancy Gamewell and Shelby Cooper. Meredith would take a 10-6 lead, but a kill by Hannah Collier would tie the set 13-13. Kills by Kelsey Bierbauer and Shelby Cooper would regain the Pacer lead by a score of 15-13. Cooper would put up two consecutive kills to increase the Pacer lead to 21-18. Meredith would tie the set 24-24, but kills by Nancy Gamewell, Hannah Collier, and Kelsey Bierbauer would secure the set 27-25 as they cut down Meredith's lead to 2-1.

Set Four (25-22)
Set four would be a back-and-forth matchup early, with a kill from Kelsey Bierbauer tying it 5-5. The Pacers would go on a 4-point run to lead 14-10 before Meredith would tie it 17-17. The Avenging Angels would take a brief 20-19 lead, but a kill by Shelby Cooper would tie it 20-20. A kill by Georgia Grace Anderson and a service ace from Cooper would be the final two points as the Pacers would win 25-22 and tie the match 2-2.

Set Five (15-8)
Meredith would take a 4-2 lead early in set five, but a kill by Kelsey Bierbauer would tie it 4-4. Two service aces from Hannah Ward would put the Pacers up 10-6. The Pacers would continue to control the final set, and a service ace from Mackenzie Russell would help secure the win as the Pacers finished the set up 15-8 to complete their comeback to win 3-2.

PACER TOP PERFORMERS

• Shelby Cooper led the Pacers with 16 kills and 3 blocks.
• Mackenzie Russell notched 46 assists.
• Logan Moore added 16 digs, while Hannah Ward added 5 aces.

FOR THE FOES

• Avery Bowman led the Avenging Angels with 15 kills and 31 assists.
• Lauren Phillips added 13 digs.

STATS OF THE GAME

• The Pacers put up 12 aces in comparison to Meredith's 8. 

NEXT GAME
The Pacers will host Emory & Henry College in a non conference matchup on October 7th. Game time is set for 6 PM.

For the latest news and updates from William Peace University Athletics, please visit: gopeacepacers.com, Facebook, or follow the Pacers on Instagram and Twitter at @gopeacepacers.