SPARTANBURG, S.C.- In one of the best offensive matches the Valkyries have played all season, Converse (3-19) couldn't thwart the comeback by Shaw (14-9) in a non-conference five set thriller on Tuesday afternoon.  Converse fell 3-2 (25-21, 25-22, 20-25, 24-26, 13-15).

Katie Butler (Savannah, Ga.) led the Valkyries with a season-high 17 kills in the match.  Butler achieved the 1,000 kill mark in the fourth set.

Converse posted four players in with double-digit kills and three of those to record double-doubles in the match.  JaLesa Beaver (Katy, Texas) posted 12 kills and added 14 digs.  Krislyn Moore (Spartanburg, S.C.) and Makaylah Plemmons (Union County, S.C.) added 10 kills apiece.  Moore added 44 assists for her double-double while Plemmons added a career-high 18 digs.

Madeline Pate (Cassatt, S.C.) recorded a career-high 23 digs.

The Valkyries opened up the match winning the first two sets 25-21 and 25-22 to take a 2-0 advantage.  Shaw fought back to take sets 3-4 to force the deciding fifth set.  The Bears took the fifth set and match 15-13.

Converse had a chance to take the match in the fourth set.  The Valkyries rallied from down 24-20 late in the set to tie things up at 24-all.  Back-to-back kills by Plemmons and an Aeriel Wheeler (Woodruff, S.C.) kill sparked the rally to even the score.  A Valkyrie attack error and a Bear kill sent the match to the fifth set.

Shaw jumped out to a 6-2 advantage in the fifth set to force a Converse timeout.  The Valkyries rallied back with back-to-back kills by Butler and a Shaw attacking error brought it to within one at 6-5.

Shaw would counter with a 6-0 run to push their advantage to 12-5.  Converse continued to fight even with match point looming at 14-9.  Plemmons' kill and Beaver's service ace sparked the momentum in favor of the Valkyries.  The Bears had two errors to make it 14-13.  Converse looked to have the set tying point but was negated by a lift call to hand the Bears the set and match 15-13.

Converse returns to the court on Friday for Parents Weekend and Senior Day as the Valkyries take on Lees-McRae at 7pm.  The Valkyries will honor Katie Butler and Jordan Robertson.