NEWBERRY, S.C. - The Newberry College volleyball team hosted Catawba in a conference match that will likely have heavy implications down the road. The teams entered the match tied for fourth place in the South Atlantic Conference. Newberry (12-8, 3-3 SAC) claimed the first two sets, but fell victim to a Catawba (8-7, 2-4 SAC) comeback that forced a fifth set. The scarlet and gray held their composure and eventually thwarted the Indians' comeback efforts with a stunning fifth-set victory.

Lorena Maia (Belo Horizonte, Brazil) opened the match with two service aces and led a run that put Newberry ahead 4-0. Catawba quickly battled back; however, and forced a 6-6 tie. In a microcosm of the rest of the match, the teams exchanged points evenly for the bulk of the set, with the score tied seven different times until it was 18-18. With Brianna Blakely (Houston, Texas) serving, Newberry assembled a five-point run and positioned themselves to claim the set. Eventually Kember Lichtie (Amarillo, Texas) managed an attack over the outstretched hands of two Catawba blockers for the kill and the opening set.

The second set opened much like the first, this time with 10 different ties before Newberry produced a 7-2 run and a 22-18 lead. Lichtie came up with two kills in the last four points and a Catawba setting error granted Newberry the second set.

The teams again displayed how well matched they were in the third set. The teams both excelled defensively and managed digs that seemed near impossible. The set saw the teams take turns producing runs, resulting in a 19-19 tie. This time it was Catawba that produced the timely run and won the set on a five-point run, thanks in part to some costly Newberry errors.

In the fourth set, Catawba jumped ahead early but a seven-point streak put Newberry ahead 10-3. The wind in Newberry's sails slowed to a calm, and the scarlet and gray saw their lead dwindle away. Catawba would eventually tie the match at 17-17, and ultimately pull away down the stretch. Catawba produced kills in key situations to win the fourth set 25-22 and force a fifth.

Newberry's frustration was apparent in the fifth set, and three early service errors put them behind. After the teams switched courts, the scarlet and gray tightened up and the team's leaders willed them to victory. After her kill tied the match at 12-12, Lichtie controlled the serve and wouldn't relent it back to the other side. Niki Hroblak (Lake Wylie, S.C.) and Leah Nye (Hoover, Ala.) blocked a Catawba attack to put Newberry ahead. On the next point, a Catawba attack sailed over the baseline and put Newberry in position to claim the win. Finally on match point, Fernanda Frey crushed an attack off the hand of a Catawba blocker and safely to the floor, securing the win for Newberry.

“I'm proud of this team for hanging in there,” head coach David Nicholson said. “A lot of teams would have rolled over after giving up the lead like that, but we hung in there.”

After the dust settled, Newberry had four attackers with double digit kills. Maia paced the team with 16, Frey and Nye both had 12, and Lichtie had 10. Additionally, Nye led the team in blocks with 5. Freshman Blair Browning (New Lexington, Ohio) showed her ability to both set and attack, with 42 assists and a .429 attacking percentage.

On defense, Newberry was required to produce 82 digs as a team in holding off the Catawba attackers. Blakely led the way with 23, and Frey and Lichtie rounded out their double-doubles with 18 and 15, respectively.

Newberry continues conference play tomorrow afternoon with a showdown against first-place Wingate. The action is slated to begin at 2 p.m. in Eleazer Arena.