FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. -- In the first USA South match of the season, the Meredith College volleyball squad edged the Methodist Monarchs 3-1 (25-20, 18-25, 25-22, 25-22). Karlie Long led the Angels with her second double-double this fall with 11 kills, 14 digs, and Alex Hafliger tallied eight blocks in the win.

MU led most categories in the final statistics, but the Avenging Angels managed to score at critical moments in order to record the victory.

A trio of unforced Meredith errors midway through the first set forced Head Coach Fiona Barkley to call for a break in the action with Methodist leading 18-17, and the strategy worked. The Avenging Angels returned to the court, and Emily Hendricks crushed a ball from the outside to give Keegan Lynch the serve for an ace. A Monarch error left the Angels with a two-point lead.

A Methodist kill followed by a ball handling error for the Angels evened the score at 20s.

Setter Hannah Blaylock dished out a trio of assists to Long and Hafliger, and the two hitters paired up for a stuff to finish off the set for a 1-0 match lead.

The Monarchs regrouped in the second frame to hold Meredith down throughout the set. A series of winners late in the frame with Jessica Goodwin at the service line pulled the Avenging Angels to within three at 20-17, but Methodist ramped up the effort to even the match.

MU scored the first point in the third set and tied the score twice early in the action, but Hafliger and Blaylock teamed up for a winner to give Meredith a 5-4 advantage. The Angels never looked back. Long continued the pressure serving up an ace on the next play as Meredith pushed ahead to a 2-1 match lead.

The final frame appeared to follow the same pattern until the Monarchs took over the lead 19-18 on a 4-0 run. The teams exchanged points on the next four plays before a series of MU miscues gave the Angels a little breathing room.

Long gave Meredith match point with an assist from Blaylock and teamed up with Hafliger to stuff MU for the win.

Blaylock led Meredith with 36 assists, adding 11 digs, and Emery McGee recorded 18 digs. Jasmine Aguinaldo and Elizabeth Pattison tallied seven kills apiece, and Hafliger and Hendricks combined for 12 winners.

MU's Chyenne Pump and Ashley Beardsley led the match with 13 kills apiece, and Karly Klimas finished with 27 digs.

The Avenging Angels travel to Greensboro Saturday for a USA South play day. Meredith will face off with Mary Baldwin at Noon and cap off the day with the Pride at 4 p.m. Follow the action live HERE.