COLUMBIA, S.C. - After losing three consecutive matches, the Newberry College volleyball team needed a clutch performance to turn around its fortune. The Wolves got just that from freshman Madison Schultz (Decatur, Ind.), who is quickly establishing herself as a force at the middle blocker position. Her 12 kills and .346 hitting percentage were both team highs tonight as the Wolves defeated Columbia College 3-1 at Godbold Arena.

"I think the setters did a better job of mixing up the hitters tonight," Schultz said. "I think it was more effective for the team and I felt like everyone really worked well together."

The freshman's play energized a team which appeared lifeless in a 3-0 loss to Carson-Newman last Saturday afternoon.

But, where there's a star hitter, there's usually a star setter or two. Schultz's efforts wouldn't have been possible without the play of Blair Browning (New Lexington, Ohio) and Chelsea Mayor (Sugar Land, Texas). After sitting out the first set, Browning finished with 28 assists and got everyone involved while Mayor finished with 14. Fellow Freshman Lauren Prachar (Fort Wayne, Ind.) finished with 11 kills including a blast that gave the Wolves (7-7) a 27-25 win in set one.

Senior Lindsey Hollingsworth (Charleston, S.C.) broke the second set open with a serve that kept the Fighting Koalas (12-7) off balance. Hollingsworth had two aces en route to seven straight points giving the squad an 8-1 lead. Two of Amanda Soper's (Simi Valley, Calif.) six kills came to close out the second set.

After dropping the third set, it would have been easy for the team to let it get to their head. Newberry has lost all five matches that have gone the distance. The Wolves had a 2-0 lead in three of those five-set matches.

But, Newberry put its doubts to rest early in the fourth set. Samantha Parrish's (Angola, Ind.) dynamic serve left Columbia College clueless. The sophomore had two aces to give Newberry a 10-3 lead that it never relinquished.

"It was nice to close a game," Schultz said. "It has been a big hurdle for us to come out and win that last set. We're hoping today is a step in the right direction and the start of a winning streak."

Newberry will return to conference action with a 7 p.m. match at Mars Hill on Friday.