Volleyball Gets First Win With Sweep of Pfeiffer

MISENHEIMER, NC -- Catawba notched its first win of the season with a three-set sweep of host Pfeiffer in volleyball action at the Pfeiffer Invitational on Friday night at Merner Gym.  The Catawba Indians, now 1-3, won by the scores of 25-11, 25-14 and 25-16.  The Falcons fell to 1-5.

Kaitlyn Whitmer (Ferrum, VA/Franklin Co. HS) led the Lady Indians with 15 kills, while Alli Parrish (Zebulon, NC/Smithfield-Selma HS) added eight kills and eight digs in the win.  Denise Grissom (Stokesdale, NC/Rockingham Co. HS) collected a dozen digs and setter Jordan Raye (Boonville, NC/Starmount HS) handed out 30 assists.

In the opening set, Whitmer had four kills in a 5-0 run that saw Catawba build a 17-7 lead.  Whitmer later served up consectutive aces for a 23-9 Lady Indian edge.  Parrish would kill off the final point.

Pfeiffer led early in set two at 5-2, but after a pair of Falcon errors and a kill by Parrish, Catawba took a 6-5 lead and never trailed again in the set.  The Lady Indians led 12-8 when Raye had a kill and Grissom an ace to spark a six-point Catawba run.  Freshman Abby Pennington (Blacksburg, VA/Blacksburg HS) closed out the set with a kill and an ace.

The Falcons held the edge most of the third set, leading late at 16-13, but Catawba rallied.  A kill by Rachel Gallup (Fredericksburg, VA/Courtland HS) was followed by four Pfeiffer hitting errors which saw the Lady Indians go on top 18-16.  Gallup added three more kills down the stretch as Catawba won the final 12 points of the set.

Catawba will continue action on Saturday at Pfeiffer as it takes on Winston-Salem State and Queens.