Women's Volleyball 9/11/2026 6:45:00 PM Braden Mottor

Lady Eagles Split 1-1 in Opening Day of South Region Tipoff

Ohio Christian Recap:
The teams traded points early, but after an OCU service error and a service ace from Hope Brooks, the Lady Eagles jumped out to an early 8-3 lead. For nine straight points, the score went back-and-forth, preserving the Lady Eagles' 5-point cushion. OCU battled back within three, but kills from Anderson and Whitson sparked a 6-1 run that restored the Lady Eagles' momentum and lead, 20-12. OCU made a late push as the set wound down, but Anderson closed it out with a kill, 25-15.

An ace from Paityn Kandel and a kill from Lyssie Metzker opened the second set, with the Lady Eagles still dictating the pace. But a 7-0 run by OCU forced a timeout with the score at 5-9. Out of the break, the Lady Eagles answered with an 8-2 run of their own, regaining the lead, 13-11. OCU quickly seized the momentum back, closing out the set on a 13-3 run for a 25-17 victory.

Despite the sluggish finish to the second set, the Lady Eagles refused to fold. In the third, they built an early 11-7 advantage, which grew to 20-14 as the set progressed. However, an OCU run following a Trailblazer timeout pulled the set even at 23-23, and after trading points down the stretch, the teams were knotted at 26-26. Ohio Christian ultimately claimed the third-set win, scoring four of the final five points.

After a gut-wrenching finish to the third, the Lady Eagles struggled to find their footing in the fourth, falling behind 10-4. Their grit was still evident as they rallied off four straight points to trim the deficit to 8-10. OCU quickly answered, scoring eight straight points to take an 18-8 lead. Once more, the Lady Eagles dug deep, winning nine of the next 11 points to pull the set back to a manageable 17-20. The Trailblazers regained control on back-to-back kills, closing out a 25-18 set-four win and handing the Lady Eagles just their second loss of the season.

Toccoa Falls Recap:
After their two-hour break, the Lady Eagles took the court once again, this time facing Toccoa Falls. In a strong performance, the Lady Eagles swept Toccoa in three sets.

The two teams traded points early in the opening set, with neither able to gain an advantage. With Toccoa ahead 9-8, an Anderson kill followed by a Paityn Kandel service ace sparked an 8-0 run that pushed the Lady Eagles' lead to 16-9, providing the momentum they needed to carry through the rest of the set. Despite a few 3-0 scoring runs from Toccoa, the Lady Eagles held on to win the opening set, 25-19.

The Lady Eagles quickly fell behind 0-3 to open the second set but answered with a Metzker kill followed by back-to-back service aces from Olivia Boyd, sparking a 6-0 run. Toccoa countered with a 3-0 run of its own, but a block shared by Metzker and Whitson halted their momentum. Toccoa bounced back again with a 4-0 run to regain the lead, prompting a Pensacola timeout. Out of the break, the Lady Eagles found another gear, going on a 13-4 tear. Kills from Metzker, Whitson, Crumly, and Anderson powered the Lady Eagles through the closing stretch, and they went on to win the second set, 25-17.

The second-set momentum carried into the third, as the Lady Eagles opened with an 8-0 run fueled by two Paityn Kandel service aces and kills from Crumly, Anderson, and Kandel. Toccoa eventually broke its scoreless drought, but the Lady Eagles' commanding lead carried them through to a dominant 25-16 third-set win, completing the sweep.

The Lady Eagles' offense was powered by freshman Evelyn Whitson, senior Lyssie Metzker, and senior Sydney Anderson. Whitson recorded 21 kills and five block assists, while Metzker posted 24 kills, 35 digs, and two block assists. Anderson added 21 kills, three solo blocks, and three block assists. Olivia Boyd contributed 69 assists and three service aces, while senior libero Hope Brooks anchored the defense with 30 digs and 45 serve receptions.

What's Next:
Tomorrow, the Lady Eagles begin the second day of the Tipoff tournament against Baptist University of Florida at 10 AM, followed by South Region rival Bob Jones University at 2 PM. Despite going 1-1 in Friday's matches, the Lady Eagles look to have a clean sweep on Saturday against BUF and BJU.

Stay connected with the team by following @eaglespccwvb on Instagram. For full coverage of all PCC Eagles teams, events, and schedules, follow @eaglespcc on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Players Mentioned

#2 Hope Brooks: L; 5' 3"; Senior

#7 Olivia Boyd: S/RS; 5' 7"; Junior

#14 Lyssie Metzker: OH; 5' 3"; Senior

#15 Sydney Anderson: MH; 6' 0"; Senior

#5 Evelyn Whitson: MH; 6' 0"; Freshman

#18 Paityn Kandel: S; 5' 5"; Freshman

Players Mentioned

#2 Hope Brooks
: 5' 3"; Senior
: L

#7 Olivia Boyd
: 5' 7"; Junior
: S/RS

#14 Lyssie Metzker
: 5' 3"; Senior
: OH

#15 Sydney Anderson
: 6' 0"; Senior
: MH

#5 Evelyn Whitson
: 6' 0"; Freshman
: MH

#18 Paityn Kandel
: 5' 5"; Freshman
: S