GREENWOOD, S.C. � Jessica Lipsi notched a career high 22 kills and the Indians posted a season-high 119 digs in a stellar defensive effort that helped lead Newberry to a 3-2 victory over the host Lander Bearcats at the Bearcat Blitz in front of a hostile crowd in Horne Arena. The victory assured Newberry of second place in the six-team round robin tournament on the first weekend of play in 2005. Game scores were 31-29, 24-30, 25-30, 30-25 and 15-11.

The Indians recorded ten more kills than the Bearcats and for the first time on the weekend, ended the match with a higher hitting percentage than their opponent. Newberry was strong on the defensive side as well, recording 119 digs to Lander�s 99 as six separate Indians reached double digit dig figures, including libero Christy Stegall who recorded a career high 24 digs.

Game one was a great foreshadow of the rest of the match, featuring a close, drawn out battle with 11 tie scores and nine lead changes. Newberry was down 24-22 before a 7-0 run, capped off by a Lipsi kill, brought the Indians within inches of the game win. However, Lander fought back to pull within one at 29-28. A Jessica Lopez kill, followed by a Cara Coleman and Lipsi block, set Newberry up with the 31-29 game one victory.

Lander turned up the intensity in game two, outhitting Newberry .113 to .089 and recorded four blocks to Newberry�s two. Serving was a key factor in the game as the Indians served up three service errors with no aces while Lander had two aces and no service errors on the game.

The Newberry comeback kids struck again in game three as, down 16-9, they rallied back on a 13-2 run, capped off by a Katie Stone kill, to put Newberry ahead 21-18. Lander fought back and took as much as a two point lead before closing out the match on a 4-0 run, giving the Bearcats the win.

The pendulum swung again in game four as Newberry held a 10-6 lead at one point, but the Bearcats rallied to take a 13-10 lead on the game. However, Newberry was not to be outdone, slowly chipping away at the lead until the Indians� finally reclaimed the lead at 19-18 as a part of an 11-2 run that concluded by one of Lander�s many attack errors. Newberry never looked back after that point, holding on for the 30-25 win.

For the fourth time in as many matches, the Indians� fate came down to a fifth game. The 15-11 Newberry victory witnessed over 40 digs combined from both teams and saw Newberry have one of their best hitting games of the tournament, hitting .171.

Newberry returns to action on Sept. 2-3 as they travel to Jefferson City, Tenn., to the Carson-Newman tournament. Newberry College kicks off the tournament on Friday at 2:15 p.m.

                            Short Box Score (Match)
                        2005 Newberry Indian Volleyball
     Newberry Indians vs Lander Bearcats (Aug 27, 2005 at Greenwood, S.C.)

  Newberry Indians def. Lander Bearcats 31-29,24-30,25-30,30-25,15-11

  Newberry Indians (3-1) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Jessica Lipsi 22-2-5;
  Katie Stone 13-2-1; Cara Coleman 10-1-9; Jessica Lopez 10-3-3; Jamie
  Foster-Mann 9-1-4; Kristin Pulone 4-0-3; Tonya Deese 2-0-0; Alicia
  Khoury 1-0-0; Totals 71-9-13.0. (Assists) - Alicia Khoury 32; Jessica
  Lopez 30. (Dig leaders) - Christy Stegall 24; Katie Stone 24; Jessica
  Lipsi 20; Alicia Khoury 18; Jessica Lopez 13; Jamie Foster-Mann 10

  Lander Bearcats (2-2) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Griffin, Andrea 18-3-3;
  Sorensen, Kerri 14-3-4; Plecha, Christy 13-0-9; Senn, Sara 10-1-2;
  Stewart, Kay 3-0-2; Damon, Claire 2-0-2; Hedberg, Melissa 1-0-2;
  Trippany, Melissa 0-1-0; Totals 61-8-13.0. (Assists) - Damon, Claire
  47. (Dig leaders) - Senn, Sara 29; Sorensen, Kerri 23; Trippany,
  Melissa 18; Damon, Claire 12; Jacobs, Tracy 9

  Site: Greenwood, S.C. (Horne Arena)
  Date: Aug 27, 2005   Attend: 117   Time: 2:25   
  Referees: Walter Williams, Doug Fagan