SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The Converse University volleyball team won a thrilling five set match on Wednesday evening over Erskine College inside a nearly sold out Weisiger Center.
 
The Valkyries five set victory snapped a four-match losing streak and sent the Converse seniors out with one last win in their career. Converse won 74 total points, recorded nine team aces, 14 total blocks and 102 digs on the evening. The Valkyries hit .165 as a team and had a set best .205 hitting percentage in the fourth stanza.
 
Converse got off to a slow start in the opening set as they trailed 6-1 to the Flying Fleet. A Jasmine Finkley kill at 7-3 jump started the Valkyries, as sophomore Mackenzie Day served three consecutive service aces to bring Converse within a point at 7-6. A service error ended the Valkyries rally but the offensive quickly got back into gear as Finkley, Ansley Hodge and Anna Rabon rattled off three straight kills to take the lead over the Flying Fleet.
 
The Valkyries held onto the lead as Erskine attempted a comeback late in the first period. At the 17-16 juncture of the set the Valkyries won four straight points to pull away from the Flying Fleet. Kiara Cannon ended the first set with a kill to give the Valkyries a 1-0 lead in the match.
 
In the second set the Valkyries once again fell behind 4-1 to the Flying Fleet. Converse slowly worked their way back into the match and a few moments later Finkley slammed a kill past the Flying Fleet to bring the Valkyries within a pair of Erskine. The Flying Fleet led the second set 15-10 before the Converse offense came alive and feed off the energy within the arena. The Valkyries rattled off seven straight points to take a 17-15 advantage and they ended the set on a 15-2 run.
 
Once again, the Valkyries found themselves looking up at the wrong end of the scoreboard in the third set. Erskine led 9-5 midway through the set and a few moments later a 4-0 run by the Valkyries tied the set at 11. The Flying Fleet used a pair of runs to take back a 17-14 advantage over the Valkyries. Converse countered with a 4-0 run to take back the lead over the Flying Fleet, the two teams battled down the stretch and went point-for-point with one another. Leading 23-22 the Valkyries seemed poised to sweep the Flying Fleet but a 3-0 run to close out the third set gave Erskine a third set victory.
 
Through the first 22 points of the fourth set the Valkyries and the Flying Fleet were deadlocked at 11. A 5-0 run gave the Flying Fleet a 16-11 lead midway through the set. The Valkyries once again began to battle back and a 4-0 run late in the set had the two teams tied once again at 21-21. Erskine won the final two points of the set to force the match to a winner take all fifth set.
 
Trailing 4-1 in the final set the Valkyries offense came alive as they rattled off six consecutive points to take a 7-4 advantage. Converse never looked back and held on for a 15-11 fifth set win over the Flying Fleet.
 
Ansley Hodge and Savannah Ducote both posted double-doubles in the win for the Valkyries on Wednesday evening. Hodge recorded an 11 kill, 14 dig outing, while Ducote registered 42 assists and 14 digs for the Valkyries. Cannon and Finkley led the team with 13 kills each, while Sara Grace Westmoreland and Mackenzie Day each recorded a trio of service aces. Elizabeth Coffey led the team with nine total blocks in the match. Elizabeth Yohe led the team with 28 digs and Kelsey Elliott added 16 digs in the win.    
 
Next Up:
This concludes the 2021 regular season for the Converse Valkyries volleyball team.   
 
Follow Converse
https://www.facebook.com/ConverseValkyries
Twitter: @Valkyries_vball
Instagram: @ValkyriesVball
Youtube.com/Converse Athletics