DEMOREST, Ga. - The Meredith volleyball squad swept the competition Saturday in USA South action. The Avenging Angels opened the day with a 3-2 (15-25, 25-22, 25-22, 24-26, 15-8) win over the host Piedmont Lions and followed with a 3-1 (25-19, 25-15, 19-25, 25-14) victory over Methodist.

Meredith holds on to the North division's top spot with the pair of wins today. As teams jockie for one of eight seeds in the league tournament scheduled to begin November 8 in Martinsville, Virginia, the final two weeks of competition remain critical.

In today's opening match Meredith fell behind the Piedmont Lions 1-0. Set two saw eight ties through a score of 12-12, but PC scored seven of the next nine points to take a five-point lead at 19-14.

On the next play Molly Markley landed a kill, assisted by Anna Hayes, and an unforced PC error pulled Meredith to within three.

A mishandled set gave the hosts the next point, but Markley posted another kill to bring the serve back to the Avenging Angels. Five consecutive points complete with a service ace from Jessica Goodwin and a pair of Markley winners put Meredith back in front 21-20.

The Lions whistled for a timeout, but MC would score four of the next six points to even the match 1-1.

Meredith took early control of the third and would never relinquish the lead on their way to a 2-1 match advantage.

The fourth frame remained close, and the Avenging Angels held a four-point lead at 22-18.

PC returned to the court after a timeout and scored five consecutive points to edge past Meredith 23-22. Clarke Glendenning sent over a second-touch kill to even the game.

The teams exchanged the next two points before Piedmont put two together to finish the set and tie the match.

Rookie outside hitter Karlie Long put together a pair of kills from Glendenning and then served her team on to an 8-3 advantage in the deciding set.

PC scored two before Katelyn Rall landed a blow and then teamed up with Markley to block the Lions at 10-5.

Piedmont pulled to within three before Meredith's offense exploded to finish the match with four consecutive points.

Long posted a double-double with 20 kills and 24 digs. Markley tallied 16 kills in .300 hitting, and Rall posted 14 kills in 26 attempts for a .385 hitting percentage. The pair landed four blocks apiece, and Jasmine Aguinaldo added four more of Meredith's 15 total blocks.

Libero Emery McGee dug up 26 balls, and the setter duo of Glendenning and Hayes tallied 34 and 25 assists, respectively.

The Avenging Angels carried the momentum into the next match versus the Methodist Monarchs and jumped out to a 2-0 match lead.

Methodist battled back in the third set. Even at 8-8, the Monarchs went on a 10-3 run to cruise past the Avenging Angels 18-11.

Meredith whistled for a break in the action, and Long scored back-to-back points on a kill and a service ace in the next series.

But even scoring through the remainder of the set left the Avenging Angels down by six as Methodist forced a fourth set.

The Monarchs held on through 7-7 before Meredith surged ahead on a pair of blasts from Aguinaldo. The seven-point run gave the Avenging Angels enough of an edge to put the match away in four.

Long and Markley led the Angels with 19 and 13 kills, respectively, and Hayes and McGee picked up 11 digs apiece. Aguinaldo finished with four blocks, adding four kills and one service ace.

Barkley and Assistant Coach Dawn Malone join with the rest of the team Wednesday, October 23, to celebrate Meredith's three seniors, Glengenning, Hayes and Markley. The match is slated for a 7 p.m. start.