Maryville College moved to 4-1 in the USA South Athletic Conference Saturday, as the Scots fought off a late rally from the LaGrange College Panthers, 3-2.
After winning the first two sets, Maryville would give up the third and fourth sets to LaGrange, before winning the match in the fifth. The Scots took the match, 25-15, 25-23, 28-30, 22-25, 15-8.
Maryville College freshman Rhianna Tyldesley came alive in a big way, recording a match-high 21 kills for the Scots. That ranks as a career high for the first-year outside hitter, while ranking as the second-highest kill total by a Scot this season.
Before Saturday's match, Tyldesley had totaled 18 total kills in her career, before blistering the Panthers with a .255 hitting percentage. She added four digs, two blocks and an assist in the win.
In the first set, the two teams would battle to a 7-7 tie, before Maryville would take a 9-4 run for a 16-11 score. LaGrange would cut the score to 20-15, before the Scots would follow a pair of kills from Dejane Hester-Taylor to five-straight points for a 25-15 victory.
The two teams would jump out to a 4-4 score in the second set, however, before the Panthers would take a run. The 8-1 streak would put Maryville down 12-5, before the Scots would use a 6-2 run for an 14-11 score in LaGrange's favor.
The Panthers would go up 20-15, before Maryville would tie the set at 23-all. An attack error and a Tyldesley kill would end the second set in favor of the Scots, 25-23.
However, LaGrange would battle. A back-and-forth set would find the score tied at 23 late, as Maryville fought off a five set points, before a Jazzlyn Kenner kill and an Emily Boswell ace would end the long third set in favor of the Panthers, 30-28.
They would ride that momentum into the third set, as Maryville would jump to an 18-15 advantage. LaGrange would record six-straight for a 21-18 mark, before taking the fourth set, 25-22.
The fifth set was all Scots, however, as the squad jumped out to a 5-1 lead. LaGrange would cut the led to 7-4, before Maryville would rattle off seven consecutive for match point at 14-4.
The Panthers would rally, fighting off four match points, before Tyldesley ended the match with a kill from Saidee McDaniel, 15-4. Maryville would hit an incredible .733 in the final set of the match.
MC (7-8, 4-1 USA South) was led by Tyldesley's incredible night, as a trio of other Scots finished in double-figure kills.
Hester-Taylor recorded 11 kills to go with four digs and three blocks, while Brianne Sidner finished with a double-double. Sidner had 14 digs, 10 kills and two blocks, as Lauren Espinal matched her kill total. Espinal added four digs, two assists and a block in the match.
Nia Haller added nine kills, as she was one of five Scots to finish in double-figure digs along with Sidner. Yasmeen Chan had 21 digs and a pair of service aces, as Kaitlyn Flickinger added 18.
Taylor Youell also had a huge double-double for the Scots, as she had a match high 31 assist and 13 digs. McDaniel had 25 assist, nine digs and four aces for Maryville, as well.
For LaGrange (7-8, 1-3), it was Samantha James who had 12 kills. Kenner had 11 kills, while Emily Arnold added 10.
Lauren Sanders had a double-double of 22 assists and 12 digs, while Libby Compton had 10. Maggie Ivester (17), Emily Boswell (14), Cierra Terry (10) each recorded big dig numbers.
