USC Union Lady Bantam Volleyball used a strong serving game and a steady offensive attack to defeat USC Lancaster 3–1 Tuesday night at home, winning by scores of 25-21, 18-25, 25-21 and 25-23.
Union set the tone early, taking the opening set 25-21 behind 11 kills and an aggressive presence at the service line. The Bantams also kept Lancaster’s offense in check. Lancaster responded in the second set, taking advantage of Union’s offensive struggles to even the match with a 25-18 victory.
Lady Bantams regained control in the third set. Union produced its most efficient offensive performance of the night, recording 10 kills with just two errors. The Bantams took the set 25-21 to move within one set of the victory.
The fourth set was a back-and-forth battle, but Union came through when it mattered most, closing out the match 25-23.
The service line proved to be one of the biggest differences in the match. Union recorded 19 service aces compared with 10 for Lancaster, while also holding a 41-35 advantage in kills. The Bantams finished with 70 digs and seven total blocks.
Briana McAbee led Union’s serving attack with five aces while adding nine kills and 13 digs. Jeniyah Barber also contributed nine kills, three aces and eight digs. GiAnna Grandberry led the Bantams with 10 kills, while setter Jileana Coreano delivered an all-around performance with 30 assists, five aces, 14 digs, a solo block and a block assist. Nina Duggan added four kills and made her presence felt at the net with two solo blocks and a block assist.
The Bantams’ combination of serving pressure, timely kills and defensive play helped them close out the four-set victory and improve their record on the season.
USC Union’s men’s soccer team grabbed a couple of wins on the road, defeating Southern Crescent Technical College 5-0 on Sept. 12 in Georgia before edging USC Sumter 2-1 on Sept. 14 in Sumter.
The Bantams wasted little time against Southern Crescent Technical, scoring four goals in the opening 26 minutes. Valerio Cuseina sparked the offensive attack with two goals, while Ethan Blake added a goal and two assists. Valentin Dahlem contributed two assists, and Henry Poole also found the back of the net before halftime.
Emilio Werned capped the scoring in the 61st minute with a goal assisted by Massimo Rossi, giving Union the 5-0 victory. Five different Bantams scored in the match, highlighting Union’s balanced offensive attack.
Two days later, Union faced USC Sumter in a much tighter contest. Werned again provided the offensive spark, scoring in the 14th minute off an assist from Nico Deiringer to give the Bantams an early 1-0 lead.
Sumter answered in the 26th minute to tie the match at halftime, but Werned struck again in the 51st minute, this time with an assist from Rossi, to put Union back in front 2-1. The Bantams held the lead for the remainder of the match to secure the road victory.
Goalkeeper Pau Manso played all 90 minutes against Sumter and recorded six saves while allowing just one goal.
Union’s two-match stretch featured seven goals, with Werned accounting for three of them and Cuseina adding two. The Bantams return to action looking to build on the momentum of their back-to-back road victories.
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