Paladin Volleyball kicked off the season at the Furman Invite in Alley Gymnasium on Aug. 30 and 31. The invitees included Charleston Southern, the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, and UNC Charlotte.
In their season opener on Friday against Charleston Southern, the Dins dropped the match three sets to one. Senior hitters Chandler Parker and Ava Auguston led the team with nine kills apiece. Senior blocker Genevieve Perry also supplied eight kills and five blocks in the match. However, Furman could not overcome a total of 27 errors as a team.
In the evening match, the Paladins faced off against the Valeros of UTRGV and fell 3-1 again. Sophomore hitter Lindsey Walch led the team in kills with 13 and had a hitting percentage of 0.306. Parker added 12 kills of her own, and freshman hitter Ashley Stein had seven kills and 14 digs in her collegiate start.
In the tournament finale, Parker and Perry pushed Furman past UNC Charlotte as the Paladins secured the 3-1 victory and their first of the 2024 season. The duo of Parker and Perry had career highs with 14 kills each. Perry’s hitting percentage was an impressive 0.636, and she supplied six of Furman’s ten blocks in the match.
Preseason All-Southern Conference pick and fifth-year hitter Mary Beth Headley finished the match with nine kills and a team-high 15 digs. Sophomore setter Emily Navarro compiled 26 assists while sophomore libero Kennedy Seekford added 13 digs.
Parker and Perry were voted to the All-Tournament team after impressive performances in all three matches for Furman.
Following the Furman Invite, the Dins move to 1-2 on the season and will head to Spartanburg, S.C. on Sept. 4 at 6 p.m. to face off against the USC Upstate Spartans.
