Coker Upends L-R in Thrilling Five-Setter

HARTSVILLE, SC - In a thrilling and historic five-set battle on Tuesday night, the Coker volleyball team outlasted Lenoir-Rhyne, 25-23, 18-25, 12-25, 25-21, and 15-12, inside the DeLoach Center.

The victory was Coker's first over the Bears since 2017 and marked the Cobras' sixth South Atlantic Conference win of the season — their most in league play since that same 2017 campaign, when they finished with seven.

BY THE NUMBERS:

Coker 10-16 (6-11 SAC) | Lenoir-Rhyne (19-6, 13-4 SAC)

• Coker recorded 2 block solos and 19 block assists in the match

• Coker moved to 5-4 in five-set matches

TOP PERFORMERS:

Pelin Aksoy: 14 kills, 2 block assists

Cayla Gilmore: career-high 9 kills, 2 block assists

Addie Bittner: 6 kills, 21 digs, 2 block assists

McKay Kasper: 6 kills, 2 block solos, 6 block assists

Maddy Roberts: 21 assists, 13 digs

Meadow Morse: 28 digs, 5 assists

Cheyenne Bird: 16 assists, 12 digs

HOW IT HAPPENED

Set 1: For the second straight match, Coker opened strong with a first-set victory. The Cobras jumped out to a 9-3 advantage before L-R rallied to even the score at 11. Coker responded with a 5-0 run to reclaim control at 20-15, and despite another Bears push to tie it, the Cobras closed out the set by scoring five of the final eight points.

Set 2: Lenoir-Rhyne took command early, building a 7-3 lead. Coker battled back to within two at 15-13, but the Bears held firm and pulled away down the stretch to even the match at one set apiece.

Set 3: The momentum stayed with L-R, as the Bears raced out to a 7-1 lead and never looked back, cruising to a 25-12 win to take a 2-1 advantage in the match.

Set 4: Facing elimination, Coker showed resilience and determination. The set featured five ties, including 20-20, before the Cobras surged late, scoring five of the final six points to claim the 25-21 victory and force a decisive fifth set.

Set 5: Momentum remained on Coker's side as the Cobras opened with a 4-1 lead. L-R rallied to tie the score at 5, and the teams traded points to 7-7, but the Bears never took the lead. Coker sealed the win behind a kill from Pelin Aksoy and a match-clinching service ace from McKay Kasper, igniting the DeLoach Center crowd and completing the memorable comeback.

WHAT'S NEXT?

Coker will host Emory & Henry on Friday in the final match of the regular season. The Cobras' three seniors - McKay Kasper, Hazar Kayan and London Peagler will be honored prior to the match that gets underway at 7 PM. The match will be broadcast on FloSports.