Charleston, SC – The Emmanuel Women's Volleyball began play in the Conference Carolinas tournament tonight with a matchup against the Converse Valkyries in the semifinals. The Lions came back from behind to take the first set, 26-24 but the Valkyries would take the next two, 25-22, 25-23. Emmanuel would answer back to win set four, 25-22 but the Valkyries would finish strong to win the final set, 15-9 to earn a trip to the Conference Carolinas Championship. The Lions end the season 21-10, 17-2 in conference play.
 
The first set was competitive from the start with both teams making plays early. Converse would jump out to a 9-5 lead, but the Lions responded to tie things at 11. The teams would go back and forth until the very end, when tied at 24-24 the Lions would score the final two points on kills by Cailin Pritchard and Alaina Emminger. The Lions would win the set, 26-24. 
 
In set two, the Lions would go up 6-3 early. Converse would respond to tie things at 10 before taking the lead. The Valkyries would lead by as much as five, 17-12, but the Lions would answer quickly to tie the set at 21 all. The Valkyries would finish the set strong to take it, 25-22. 
 
Set three saw the Valkyries go up 4-2 early. After the Lions tied things at 5-5 on a kill by Emily Hanson, the teams would trade points and the lead the rest of way until Converse scored the final two points to win the set, 25-23. 
 
The Lions responded well in the fourth set. A 4-0 run would give the Lions a 7-3 lead early. The Lions would expand their lead to 10-5, but the Valkyries would respond to get within a point of the lead, 12-11. Another 4-0 run would push the Lions lead to 16-11, and although the Valkyries would get within a point of the lead, 22-21 the Lions would finish out the set strong, 25-22.
 
The Valkyries jumped out to a 4-0 lead early in the 5^th set. The Lions would respond to make it 7-5, but the Valkyries would control the set the rest of the way to win it, 15-9 and take the game 3-2.
 
The Lions had 63 kills, 7 aces, 13 blocks, 59 assists, and 83 digs on the night. 
 
Ellie Jackson led the Lions with a double-double of  20 kills and 27 digs on the night, while Alaina Emminger became Emmanuel's all-time leader in kills, with 15 on the night to bring her career total to 1,268, breaking a record set in 2018. 
 
Asia Queen had 3 aces on the night and 20 digs, with Sami Gambill contributing 2 aces. Brianna Bigelow had seven blocks on the night, with Cailin Pritchard adding six and Emily Hanson collecting five. 
 
Isabel Miller led the team in assists with 32 assists on the night, with Sami Gambill having 21. 
 
For more information on Emmanuel University athletics, visit goeulions.com.