FOLEY, Ala. (11/22/24) – Top-seeded Arkansas State withstood a fierce comeback by East No. 4 seed Coastal Carolina on Friday, winning 3-2 (25-12, 25-20, 22-25, 20-25, 15-12) in the quarterfinals of the Sun Belt Conference Tournament.
A-State (25-4) held a two-set lead, but the Chanticleers (13-17) kept the match alive, eventually forcing the fifth set. However, the Red Wolves used a 4-0 run midway through the final set to clinch their first trip to the tournament semifinals since 2018.
Kaitlin Whitlock led the charge for the Scarlet and Black, amassing a season-high 25 kills with 15 digs while hitting .308 on the night. Devyn Lewis added a career-best 18 kills with a .318 clip, while Grace Wiley tallied 13 kills. As a team, A-State hit .283 for the match.
Sarah Martinez recorded a double-double for the second straight match with 26 digs and 10 assists, while Erin Madigan had 34 assists and 13 digs.
A-State broke a 5-all tie early in the opening set with a kill by Addison Collum, and then used a 6-0 run sparked by a Daedrianna Cail kill to expand its lead out to 17-9. The Chanticleers managed just three more points the rest of the set, as the Red Wolves cruised to the 25-12 first-set victory.
The Chanticleers owned an 8-6 lead following a three-point run in the second set, but momentum swung in A-State's favor with a 5-0 stretch capped by a Lewis kill. Jalyn Stout (21 kills, 24 assists, 15 digs) pulled Coastal back within two, but the Scarlet and Black maintained its lead until Mia Maloney clinched the frame with an ace – one of A-State's seven in the match.
A-State surged out to an 8-2 lead in the third set, but the Chanticleers slowly chipped away at the deficit to pull even at 16 on a kill by Agata Lesiak. The Red Wolves won the race to 20 after a kill by Lewis, but CCU took seven of the final nine points in the set to extend the match.
Whitlock put the Red Wolves ahead 5-2 in the fourth set, but a 6-0 run by the Chanticleers turned the tide. Coastal Carolina expanded its lead to 17-11, but A-State pulled within one when a Whitlock kill made it 21-20. The Chanticleers ended the frame by winning four straight points to send the match to the fifth.
Madigan capped a 4-1 A-State run with an ace to start the fifth set, but CCU evened it at 5-all on a block by Lesiak and Emily Fowler. Wiley sparked a 5-0 run to put the Scarlet and Black ahead 10-5, but the Chanticleers did not go away, pulling within two on an ace by Fowler. A-State held off the comeback attempt, clinching the win on a kill by Wiley.
NEXT UP
The Red Wolves continue their tournament run Saturday at 5 p.m., taking on the winner of the match between East No. 2 seed Georgia Southern and West No. 3 seed South Alabama. The match will be broadcast live on ESPN+.
SOCIAL MEDIA
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