Box Score

JACKSON, Tenn. – The Union University volleyball team has won four of their last six matches at home thanks to a 3-2 (25-17, 18-25, 29-27, 25-21, 15-13) win over Trevecca Nazarene University Tuesday night. Union has now surpassed their win total of a year ago with an 8-18 overall record with five more regular season matches remaining. Trevecca dropped to 14-12 on the season.
 
The night was extra special as both teams and the fans celebrated Cancer Awareness Night with Pink being theme of the evening. The event honored survivors of breast cancer and remembered those who have lost the battle to cancer. Funds raised during the evening will go to help families currently dealing with the disease of cancer.
 
Union junior from Hoover, Ala., Abbey Wainwright posted a career-high 23 kills in the win for Union. "It was a hard fought win and a great team effort!", says Wainwright. "We knew that to win we would have to work for every points and that we would have to play with a lot of intensity on every play. I think everyone did that tonight and I believe that is why we won." Wainwright is just 14 kills shy of 500 for her career.
 
The match featured 41 ties and 15 lead changes. These two teams are very familiar as both were members of the TranSouth Conference in the NAIA. Both Union and Trevecca are in the final year of the NCAA Division II membership process. Union leads the overall series with Trevecca 27-15, including a 1-1 split this season. Union's win tonight snapped a three match losing skid to the Trojans.
 
This also marked the seventh 5-set match for Union this season. Union is now 3-4 in those matches. In five set matches season, Union has held leads of 2-0 or 2-1 in six of those seven matches, going 3-3 in those situations.
 
In the match, Union jumped out to an early lead, pulling away for a 25-17 victory in set one. It was close early with seven ties and three lead changes. The set was tied 8-8 when Union rattled off nine straight points to take control.
 
The second set was again played close early, but this time it was Trevecca who took advantage of a long run to take control. With Union leading 14-10, the Trojans scored seven straight points and used that run to even the match at one each.
 
The third set was the closest of all with neither team gaining a lead of more than three points. Union led 24-23 but Trevecca tied the set at 24-24. Union had one point leads of 25-24, 26-25, 27-26, and 28-27 and finally took the set and lead 29-27. The set featured 15 ties and five lead changes.
 
In the fourth set, Union seemed to be taking the momentum of the long set three victory as they rushed out to a 17-10 lead. However, a service error by Union sparked a 15-4 run by the Trojans as they rallied to tie the match at 2-2 with a 25-21 win.
 
In the fifth set, Trevecca scored first to lead 1-0, but Union rattled off five straight to lead 5-1 and force a timeout by the Trojans. Union led 10-5, but again had to try and hold off a determined Trevecca team. The Trojans tied the fifth set at 11-11 and again at 12-12. Union used an attached error from Trevecca and a block assist from Wainwright and Mallory Baker to take a lead of 14-12. After Trevecca cut the deficit to one with a kill from Katelyn Atkinson, Union's Wainwright sealed the win with a kill.
 
Union was led by Wainwright with a career-high 23 kills. Her previous career high was 18 in a match as a freshman. Wainwright led four Union players in double figures in kills as the team posted a season high 73 kills. Baker added 14 kills, while Kristin Cook and Hannah Huguley had 11 kills each. Lydia Wright led with 52 assists, Elise Seufert led with two aces, Huguley led with 15 digs, and Baker led with six blocks.
 
Trevecca Nazarene was led by Atkinson with 17 kills and Delaney Hearne with 12 kills. Kristen Johnson and Loren Bennett dished out 25 and 20 assists, respectively. Shelby Sorce and Bennett led with two aces each, Sorce led with 21 digs, and Cara Trunnell led with four blocks.
 
Up next for Union will be a pair of road Gulf South matches at Lee and Shorter (Ga.), November 8 and 9. Union's final home match is Tuesday, November 12 at 6 p.m. versus North Alabama.
 
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