The Winthrop University Eagles volleyball team secured a 3-2 victory over Old Dominion University on Saturday afternoon, September 5, at the Winthrop Invitational in Rock Hill. The Eagles initially took a commanding two-set lead before the Monarchs rallied to force a decisive fifth set. Despite Old Dominion’s strong start in the final set, Winthrop ultimately prevailed.
The Eagles established an early lead in the first set, pulling away to a 25-16 win. They continued their dominance in the second set, outpacing the Monarchs 25-12. However, Old Dominion mounted a comeback, winning the third set 25-17 and the fourth set 25-23, forcing the match to a fifth and final set.
In the fifth set, Old Dominion initially took a 5-1 lead, prompting a Winthrop timeout. The Eagles, however, responded with a strong performance, including back-to-back aces from Lindsay Langner to tie the set at 5-5. Later, Maggie Czajka contributed three aces during a 5-0 run that put Winthrop ahead 11-8. Although Old Dominion narrowed the gap to 13-12, the Eagles held on for a 15-13 victory.
For Old Dominion, Leilani Lawrence led the offense with 18 kills, while Katie Rakoski added 13 kills. Wiktoria Zagumny recorded 23 assists and Erica Duffy had 14 assists. Lawrence also served three aces. Defensively, Gent and Peji each had 12 digs, and Elisa Maggi contributed 10 digs. Emma DiRocco led the team with four blocks, with Lawrence and Rakoski each adding three. Old Dominion’s head coach, Fred Chao, noted the team’s grit and improved play from the third set onward, despite the loss.
The match featured nine ties, with four occurring in the fifth set, and only four lead changes. Old Dominion’s hitting efficiency improved significantly throughout the match, from .194 in the first set to .367 in the fourth. While the Monarchs recorded more blocks, 9-3, they also allowed 12 aces.
