BUENA VISTA, VA. — The Southern Virginia University women's volleyball team squared off against Meredith College in the USA South Conference Championship in Knight Arena Saturday afternoon. In the end, the Knights hoisted the trophy, winning the program's first conference championship title in four sets 3-1. 

Head Coach Debby Baker 

"They worked so hard for this. It is so cool seeing everything that has happened, thinking last year would be our year. The team has been through a lot the past year, but they kept the faith and kept working hard. I am so proud of them for fighting, and they kept hitting the ball and never gave up. The team that was more mentally tough was going to hold up that trophy after the match, and in the end, we were more mentally tough."

Coach Baker and the women's volleyball team also wanted to express their gratitude to the fans in attendance. "They were a part of our win," said Coach Baker. " We love playing at home! The energy the crowd brings is phenomenal."

Players of the Game

Courtney Pinkston: 19 kills | four service aces | seven digs

Elle Warnick: 47 assists | 11 digs | four kills

Brenna Clyde: 12 kills | .423 hitting percentage | two blocks

Emma Steiger: 22 digs | three aces

Match Notes

• The Knights struggled in the first set, finding themselves down 10-2 early
• Southern Virginia capitalized on an attacking error from Meredith, which sparked a 6-0 scoring run to come within two points 10-8
• The Avenging Angels maintained their lead the rest of the set, taking the 1-0 lead 25-20
• Both teams went back and forth in the second set, with the Knights holding on to the 16-15 lead midway through the set led by four kills from Courtney Pinkston
• Jilane Pedersen shifted the momentum in favor of Southern Virginia with a solo block and a kill, sparking a 7-2 run to jump ahead 23-17
• Elle Warnick took matters into her own hands, using a final kill to tie the game up at one
• Midway through the third set, Southern Virginia held a 13-8 lead, with Mallory Rath displaying her serving abilities with two aces
• Later in the set, Taryn Kartchner recorded a kill set up by Elle Warnick, igniting a 6-2 scoring run to go ahead 23-16
• Courtney Pinkston wrapped up the third set with a final kill to put the team up 2-1
• The Avenging Angels fought hard in the fourth set staying within one point of the Knights 11-12
• Courtney Pinkston continued to display her dominance, setting up a 6-2 run with a kill and an ace
• Meredith responded with a short 3-0 run, but Southern Virginia put on the pressure with six unanswered points to set up match point
• Sydney Hopkin recorded the final kill of the game, locking in program-history victory

Southern Virginia will await their next opponent during the NCAA Selection Show on Monday, November 8, at 1:30 pm. The NCAA Selection Show link will be on the front page of the NCAA site. 

Follow the women's volleyball team @knightwvolleyball on Instagram and @knightwvolley on Twitter for more updates and details.