Balanced Attack Fuels SMC Volleyball Comeback Win at Truett McConnell

CLEVELAND, Ga. – A balanced hitting attack featuring Braelynn Brewington, Makinnley Smart, and Kendall Meinders, each with double-digit kills, powered the Spartanburg Methodist College volleyball team to a 22-25, 25-20, 25-13, 25-16 comeback win over host Truett McConnell on Tuesday night.

The Pioneers (8-13, 3-5 AAC) posted an impressive .318 hitting percentage in the victory, compared to .147 for the Bulldogs. The SMC front line was dominant at the net, recording 11 total blocks — led by Campbell with five and Brewington with four.

The Bears (10-10, 3-5 AAC) were led by Faith Clarkson and Anna Forbus, who tallied 12 and 11 kills, respectively.

After dropping the first set, the Pioneers regrouped and used a stretch of four straight points to take a 9-5 lead early in the second. Truett McConnell pulled within one at 16-15, but another four-point SMC run helped the visitors close out the set, 25-20, to even the match at one apiece.

SMC carried that momentum into the third set, opening with an 8-2 run that forced an early Bulldogs timeout. The Pioneers stayed in control the rest of the way, cruising to a 25-13 win and a 2-1 match advantage.

In the fourth set, momentum stayed with the Pioneers, though the teams traded points early. A kill by Smart broke a 14-14 tie and ignited a decisive 5-0 run that put SMC ahead 19-14. The Pioneers held firm from there, sealing the set 25-16 and clinching the match victory.

Next, Spartanburg Methodist will remain on the road, traveling to face Milligan on Friday, Oct. 10, at 6:30 p.m. in Elizabethton, Tennessee.