RALEIGH, N.C. -- USA South rival William Peace claimed the conference win 3-0 (30-28, 25-21, 25-20) in the first of Friday's volleyball doubleheader with the Meredith College Angels. MCVB fell just shy in a close battle in the second match 3-2 (25-20, 17-25, 15-25, 25-21, 6-15).

Game 1

Tonight's first round was won on the defensive side of the net. A balanced offensive effort from both teams, including a 38-kill, .152 hitting percentage from the Angels and a 44-kill, .192 percentage from the Pacers, left the battle to the defensive specialists. Meredith pulled together a 50-dig performance with Libero Lauren Phillips leading the game at 20, along with Avery Bowman and Bailey Lucas with nine apiece and Ally Copenhaver grabbing eight. The Avenging Angels managed 10 stuffs with Lauren Bissette involved in four. But four double-digit defensive tallies for William Peace gave the hosts an edge in each of the three close finishes.

Bowman led with nine kills, and Lucas distributed 32 assists.

Game 2

Meredith found redemption with a first-set win in the second round, but the Avenging Angels gave up a 13-8 lead in the second to allow Peace to even the score.

WPU jumped out 7-1 in the third, forcing a Meredith timeout, but the issues continued as the lead ballooned to 12-3. MCVB found the floor five times over the next 15 points, but William Peace refused to back down.

Bowman and Bissette interrupted the flow for Meredith's ninth point, and the Angels scored three more for their longest rally of the game. But Peace only needed three more points to close out the win for a 2-1 match advantage.

Meredith found a little more rhythm early in the fourth, leading much of the way to 18-13. But a solo block from Pacer Landis Limon inspired a 5-0 WPU rally to tie the game at 18. An unforced error gave the Angels the lead, but Peace evened the game on the next play. Back-to-back Pacer missteps led to a host timeout at 23-20 with a winner at the net on very next play to pull WPU back to within two. Lucas and Whitney Bolton teamed up for a point, and Copenhaver served up a winner to force a deciding game.

MCVB struggled in the final set with four hitting errors in the first eight points. Bowman scored Meredith's third point after the resulting timeout, as MCVB trailed 6-3. But more issues at the net, attributed in part to Limon, spread the gap to 12-3 before Meredith's Hailey Long finally stopped the run. Long put down one more from the right side, but the hole was two deep for the Angels to climb.

Long and Copenhaver recorded 12 kills apiece and Bowman nine. Phillips grabbed another match-high digs with 24 and had double-digit help from Copenhaver, Lucas, and Bowman. Lucas and Bowman shared the setter role for a combined 31 assists.

The Avenging Angels host N.C. Wesleyan next weekend in a Saturday afternoon play day. Follow the live action HERE, as spectators are not permitted in Weatherspoon Gym.