MOUNT OLIVE, N.C. - Three days after dropping their home opener to Anderson the Wolves headed to Mount Olive looking to get back on the winning track. Thanks in large part to senior Kara Harris (Grandview, Texas) and freshman Sam Parrish (Angola, Ind.) the scarlet and gray did just that. The pack scored a 3-1 win over Fairmont State in the opening match and later thrashed the host Mount Olive by a score of 3-0 to gain a 2-0 record during the first day of the Mount Olive Tournament.

Newberry (4-3) came out looking sharp early against Fairmont State taking a 13-3 lead in the first set. Preseason all-SAC Second Team member Harris saw her first playing time of 2010 and made the most of it getting four of her match total nine kills in the beginning set. The Wolves never allowed the Falcons to lead, and cruised to a 25-14 win in set one.

The beginning of the second set was much like the first with the scarlet and gray jumping out to a quick 5-1 advantage thanks in part to some errors by the Falcons. Fairmont State battled back though, and soon closed the gap with a 9-9 tally. Newberry responded with a 9-3 run to take an 18-12 lead with a service ace from Lindsey Hollingsworth (Charleston, S.C.) giving the Wolves their biggest edge of the set. It was then that the Falcons started to battle back, evening the score up at 20-all. The Wolves would give up three points via the attack error, and Fairmont State knotted things up at 1-1.

Parrish would prove to be very important in the third set. The 5-foot-11 outside hitter racked up three straight kills in the early minutes, helping the Wolves to a 7-5 advantage. Things quickly turned sour for the Wolves though as Fairmont State went on an 11-2 run to take a commanding 16-9 lead. The Wolves refused to roll over and Parrish scored three of the next four points to bring them within three. It was then that the Falcons fell victim to every manner of volleyball miscue as they committed five errors. The Wolves continued to get kills and soon enough they found themselves leading 23-21. Parrish and Anne Staudinger (Fort Wayne, Ind.) would close the door on set three and Newberry took a 2-1 lead.

Staudinger and senior Leah Nye (Hoover, Ala.) teamed up in set four to give the Wolves their third win of the season. With the Falcon defense focused on Parrish they opened the door for Staudinger and Nye. Nye racked up a pair of service aces and two of her nine kills in the fourth set while Staudinger had an assist and three kills in the deciding set.

Parrish led the way for Newberry with 18 kills and 14 digs. Staudinger wasn't far behind as she accumulated 11 kills with an impressive .417 attack percentage.
Newberry vs. Fairmont State box score: http://www.newberryathleticsite.com/stats/vb10/new06.htm

The Wolves duplicated their success when they faced off against Mount Olive. The pack took control right from the start, making good on six of their first seven attack attempts to take a quick 6-3 lead. Newberry held the lead for the majority of the set, and wrapped things up with a 7-0 run to take a 1-0 lead in the match via a 25-15 tally.

The dominance that Newberry displayed in the first set was not present in the second. The Wolves and Trojans traded points for the entirety of the set with neither squad taking a lead of more than three points. With the score 23-20 in favor of Newberry, a pair of Trojan kills trimmed the lead to one. After a Nadia Andrade (Belo Horizonte, Brazil) service error, Nye and Parrish gave the scarlet and gray a 2-0 lead with a kill apiece.

With a 2-0 lead, the Trojans would not go away easily with their backs against the wall in set three. The hosts jumped out to a quick 3-0 lead and the Wolves were forced to battle back. The back and forth affair carried through from the second set, and eventually the score was deadlocked at 19. After a pair of attack errors from the Trojans, Parrish made good on her sixth service ace of the match to help Newberry to a 22-19 lead. A service error from the Trojans, and kills from Staudinger and Nye gave the Wolves their second win of the day.

Nye led the way with nine kills and a service ace. Staudinger chipped in eight kills, four digs and a block assist. Parrish rounded out the main scoring threat with seven kills, seven digs and a pair of block assists. Brianna Blakely (Houston, Texas) and Blair Browning (New Lexington, Ohio) split time at the setter position with each picking up 14 assists.

"Today we played the with the most consistency that we have all season," said third year head coach David Nicholson. "It was great to have Kara back and Sam played a great pair of matches as well. We had a balanced effort tonight, and that's exactly what you need to win games."
Newberry vs. Mount Olive box score: http://www.newberryathleticsite.com/stats/vb10/new07.htm

The Wolves have two more matches on tap for Saturday (Sept. 11) to conclude the Mount Olive tournament. Match time with Millersville (Pa.) is set for high noon, while the second match against Francis Marion is scheduled to begin at 4 p.m.