DANVILLE, Va. -- In a battle for the USA South East Division Regular Season title, the Meredith College Avenging Angels volleyball team lost 3-1 (22-25, 23-25, 25-19, 18-25) to the host Averett Cougars Saturday. The loss ended a 14-game winning streak for the Angels, who finished second behind the undefeated Cougars in the regular season.

As the East Division's second seed, Meredith will host first round tournament action Tuesday, Nov. 1. The East's sixth-seeded N.C. Wesleyan Bishops will face off with the third-seeded William Peace Pacers at 5 p.m. in Weatherspoon Gymnasium. Meredith will play the winner at 7:30 p.m.

Keegan Lynch recorded her 1000th career dig in the opening rally of today's action and would go on to notch a match-high 21 digs on the day.

The Avenging Angels opened strong to hold an 8-4 set one advantage, but Averett recovered with an 8-2 rally to edge into the lead by two.

The Cougars extended their advantage to five before a Alex Hafliger launched a 5-1 series to pull to within one at 19-18. AU scored the next three points, but Meredith's Caroline Corey landed back-to-back kills from the outside, followed by a right side winner from Elizabeth Pattison, to pull the Angels back to within one.

The team's exchanged the next two points, but Averett scored two more to finish off the set for a 1-0 lead.

Set two played out in much the same pace with the Cougars holding a 24-19 lead late in the frame. The Angels continued to challenge the hosts scoring the next four points, but Averett finished off the win on a MCVB misstep to hold a two-set advantage.

With an East Division championship on the line, the Avenging Angels refused to fold. Meredith led most of the way with a 21-13 advantage late in the stanza. Averett scored six of the next seven points to pressure the Angels, but MCVB finished off the set with a win on kills from Corey and Pattison.

In spite of a tremendous defensive effort with 28 blocks to just 10 from AU, the Avenging Angels would not find the key to defeating the Cougars today. But the teams have another chance to face off in the USA South Conference Tournament, which begins Tuesday on the campus of the top-two seeds of both the East and West Divisions Tuesday evening.

Hafliger tallied 11 of Meredith's blocks with three kills, and Corey notched a match-high 18 kills, adding 10 digs for her third career double-double. Pattison notched 11 kills, six blocks, and Karlie Long posted 10 kills with three digs and as many blocks. Hannah Blaylock dished out 38 assists with nine digs, and Emery McGee finished with 13 digs.

USA South Volleyball Tournament
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