Koala Volleyball Stages Huge Comeback to Stun SMC in 5 Sets

COLUMBIA, S.C. - The Columbia College volleyball team staged a huge comeback after being down 0-2 to rally and knock off Spartanburg Methodist College 3-2 at home Saturday afternoon from the Godbold Center.

After dropping the first two sets, 24-26 and 18-25, the Koalas rallied to squeak out a third set win 25-22 followed by a fourth set domination 25-12. CC then trailed 5-0 in the 5th set before head coach Drew Burdette called a timeout to reset the team's focus. The Koalas then completed a huge rally going on a 15-5 run to win the fifth set 15-10 and take the match.

SMC and Columbia battled in a tight first set with the teams combining for 25 kills in the set alone led by CC's 15. SMC would edge out CC 26-24 before taking the second set 25-18 even as the Koalas totaled more kills, 14-9. Columbia hit .150 in each of the two sets.

The Koalas then found their stride in the third set notching 11 kills and hitting .333 as they held off the Lady Pioneers for the 25-22 victory. CC then had a dominating 4th set jumping out to a 14-5 lead and never relenting to win the set by 13 points, 25-12 on 13 kills hitting .526 setting the stage for the big fifth set comeback. Columbia totaled a season-high 59 kills in the win hitting .246 along with 17 serve aces and 50 digs.

The team was led by junior outside hitter Maranda Bird with 18 kills while hitting .342 with six digs and a block. Junior setter Debra Shephard then posted a new career-high in assists recording 56 while also notching 3 aces and 8 digs in the win. Sophomore libero Katie Roberts then led the team defensively with 16 digs and five aces while senior Lottie Assen, freshman Riley Koellner and junior server Sarah Jones combined for 15 digs and 9 aces.

Senior Destiny Brown led the team in the middle posting 10 kills with a block while hitting .353. Sophomore OH Tamia Fripp then put up 15 kills and hit .370 while the freshmen duo of Kameron Turner and Melodi Paige combined for 14 kills.

Columbia picks up their second win of the season and improves to 2-2 in the conference and are in 8th place out of 14 teams, their best standing this late in a season in at least a decade. SMC falls to 4-12 overall and 0-4 in the league.

The Koalas will next hit the court on Tuesday evening when they host Reinhardt University at 6:30 pm.