The USC Union Lady Bantams have gotten off to a strong start to the 2026 volleyball season, winning three of their first four matches, including a pair of impressive road victories.
USC Union opened the season Aug. 21 with a 3–1 victory over Wake Technical Community College in Raleigh before sweeping Patrick & Henry Community College, 3–0, on Aug. 22 in Kinston, North Carolina. The Lady Bantams returned to the road Aug. 28 and picked up another 3–1 victory over Georgia Highlands College in Rome, Georgia.
The three wins showcased a team capable of winning in different ways, from aggressive serving and strong defense to timely offensive runs and the ability to respond when an opponent gains momentum.
Lady Bantams Defeat Wake Tech in Season Opener
USC Union opened its 2026 campaign with a 3–1 road victory over Wake Technical Community College on Aug. 21 in Raleigh.
The Lady Bantams took control early, winning the first two sets 25–19 and 25–22. Wake Tech answered in the third set with its strongest offensive performance of the match, winning 25–12.
USC Union quickly regrouped, however, and closed out the match with a 25–22 victory in the fourth set.
The service line played a major role in the win, as the Lady Bantams recorded 13 aces. Gracie Underwood led the way with five aces, while Savanna Carpenter added four. Sonia Samidass Russell and Jileana Coreano each recorded two aces.
Underwood also contributed offensively, while Carpenter finished with five kills. Nina Duggan added six kills and was a force at the net with one solo block and five block assists.
Coreano directed the USC Union offense with 20 assists, while Braylin Ziegler anchored the defense with 11 digs.
Although the Lady Bantams hit just .028 as a team, they made up for the offensive struggles with strong serving, blocking and defensive play.
Wake Tech found its rhythm in the third set, but USC Union responded with a strong defensive effort in the fourth. Wake Tech managed just one kill while committing six attack errors in the final set, allowing the Lady Bantams to finish the match.
The final score was USC Union 3, Wake Tech 1, with set scores of 25–19, 25–22, 12–25 and 25–22.
Lady Bantams Sweep Patrick & Henry
The Lady Bantams followed their season-opening win with a dominant performance against Patrick & Henry Community College on Aug. 22, sweeping the Patriots 3–0.
USC Union controlled the match from the opening serve, winning 25–10, 25–11 and 25–4.
The Lady Bantams hit .217 as a team, recording 23 kills while committing just 10 errors. USC Union’s defense and serving made it difficult for Patrick & Henry to establish any offensive rhythm. The Patriots finished the match with a -.429 hitting percentage, recording seven kills and 25 errors.
The final set was particularly dominant, with Patrick & Henry unable to record a kill while committing 11 attack errors.
Gracie Underwood led the Lady Bantams with eight kills and hit .429 for the match. She also added two aces.
Carpenter turned in another strong all-around performance, recording four kills on .333 hitting, two aces and two block assists. GiAnna Grandberry added five kills and two block assists.
Coreano once again directed the USC Union offense, finishing with 16 assists and an ace.
The Lady Bantams also put pressure on Patrick & Henry from the service line, recording 12 aces. Briana McAbee led USC Union with five aces.
Defensively, USC Union recorded 29 digs. Coreano led the team with eight, followed by Ziegler with six and Samidass Russell with five.
The sweep gave USC Union its second road victory in as many days and provided an impressive early-season statement from the Lady Bantams.
USC Union Battles Back for Win Over Georgia Highlands
USC Union continued its strong start Aug. 28 with a 3–1 victory over Georgia Highlands College in Rome, Georgia.
The Lady Bantams won the first two sets 25–18 and 25–21 before Georgia Highlands responded with a 25–18 win in the third set.
Rather than allowing the momentum to shift completely, USC Union answered in the fourth set with its most efficient offensive performance of the match. The Lady Bantams hit .333 in the final set, recording 12 kills with just two errors on 30 attempts, and closed out the match 25–20.
USC Union finished with 45 kills and a .198 team hitting percentage. The Lady Bantams also recorded 14 aces and 53 digs.
Carpenter led the USC Union attack with 14 kills while hitting .346. She also recorded an ace and two block assists for a team-high 16 points.
Grandberry added 11 kills and a block assist, while Underwood finished with nine kills and a match-high four aces.
Coreano continued to play a key role in the Lady Bantams’ success, recording 35 assists, three aces and 14 digs.
Ziegler added 11 digs to help anchor the USC Union back row.
Georgia Highlands played its best volleyball in the third set, hitting .385 to take the momentum and force USC Union to respond.
The Lady Bantams did exactly that in the fourth set, limiting mistakes, finding their offensive rhythm and continuing to pressure Georgia Highlands with their serving and defense.
USC Union’s 3–1 victory marked its third road win to open the season.
Strong Start for the Lady Bantams
Through the opening matches of the season, USC Union has shown both its offensive potential and its ability to respond when faced with adversity.
The Lady Bantams have received contributions throughout the lineup, with Underwood, Carpenter, Grandberry and Coreano leading the way offensively and Ziegler helping anchor the defense.
Perhaps most encouraging has been USC Union’s ability to close out matches. After dropping sets to Wake Tech and Georgia Highlands, the Lady Bantams responded by winning the deciding fourth sets and avoiding a fifth set.
With three road victories already on the books, the Lady Bantams have established an early-season identity built on aggressive serving, strong defense and the ability to battle through momentum swings.
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