October 14, 2009

Box Score
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LAURINBURG, N.C.—Sophomore Heather Bolwerk (Appleton, Wis.) and senior Galina Podolsky (Raleigh, N.C.) both recorded double-doubles while combining for 14 of the Knights 20 service aces as host St. Andrews Presbyterian College defeated Conference Carolinas rival Coker College 25-9, 18-25, 25-14, 24-26, 15-10 in a seesaw battle Wednesday night.

Senior Galina Podolsky (pictured) served up a season-high eight aces while adding a double-double in SAPC's 3-2 victory against Coker College on Wednesday.

St. Andrews won its second straight match improving to 9-13 overall and 4-8 in the league. The Cobras suffer their 19th consecutive loss falling to 1-21 and 0-11.

Podolsky crushed a match-high 19 kills and made 11 digs. Podolsky -- who ranks eighth in the nation in aces per set -- just missing a triple-double with a season-high eight aces. Bolwerk had 13 kills while totaling season-high marks of 24 digs and six aces. Podolsky has four double-doubles on the season and Bolwerk follows with three double-doubles.

“Coker gave us quite a run tonight,” said SAPC first year head coach Melissa Chaplin. “I was proud of our ladies to rally back in the fifth game after a close loss in the fourth set. Galina [Podolsky] is a pleasure to coach and really is shining for us in the outside position. As Galina continues to grow in the position I feel she and Heather [Bolwerk] will definitely be a dominating force for the rest of the season.”

Freshman Molly Bookhart (Orangeburg, S.C.) led Coker with a 17 dig, 12 assist double-double.

St. Andrews scored the first eight points of the match and coasted to a 16-point win in the first set. Coker responded by scoring the first four points of the second stanza and holding on for a seven-point win to even the match at 1-1. Cobras’ freshman Jordan Hancock (Mt. Pleasant, S.C.) had three of her six kills in the second set including back-to-back kills to end the frame.

The Knights used a 7-0 run midway through the middle set to take an 18-10 advantage before rolling to the 11-point win. Bolwerk served up three of her six aces in the third.

Coker built a late 22-17 lead in the fourth but St. Andrews stormed back by winning seven straight points to serve for match point at 24-22. However, the Cobras forced the decisive fifth set by winning the final four points capped with a sophomore Cynallyhia Indriago (Columbia, S.C.) spike.

In the final frame, Coker led 8-7 as the two teams switch sides but St. Andrews won the next four points on a quartet of kills to take the lead for good. Sophomore Erica Davis (Tulsa, Okla.) served up the Knights 20th ace of the night to wrap up the victory at 15-10.

Podolsky and Bolwerk combined for 32 of SAPC’s 43 kills while the team hit .119 for the match. Coker was held to a .012 hitting percentage.

On the back row, senior Courtney McDonald (Leander, Texas) tied her season-high mark of 26 digs. Davis made 12 scoops as four Knights registered 10-plus digs.

Freshman Kelly Stine (Fort Collins, Colo.) had a match-high 29 assists and junior Elysia Tiegs (Woodstock, Canada) chipped in with a match-high five block assists.

A trio of freshman tallied six kills for Coker including Hancock, Lisa Ross (Bowling Green, Ky.) and April Griggs (Bishopville, S.C.). Classmate Abby Frame (Sylvania, Ohio) had a team-high 13 assists. Ross provided a team-high 18 digs and Griggs had a team-high four block assists. Indriago and freshman Kayla Hopper (Newberry, S.C.) each registered 10 digs.

St. Andrews has a week to prepare for Conference Carolinas leading Pfeiffer University, when the Knights will be bidding for a third straight league win in Misenheimer, N.C., on Wednesday at 7 p.m. Coker travels to conference rival Converse College (Spartanburg, S.C.) on Friday at 5:30 p.m.