High Point Volleyball Takes Big South Lead With Four-Set Win Over Winthrop

HIGH POINT, N.C. — High Point University’s volleyball team won a meeting of unbeaten Big South Conference opponents Saturday, defeating Winthrop 3-1 at the Millis Center to move alone into first place in the league standings. Both teams entered 4-0 in conference play, making the result an important early marker in the race for positioning later in the season.

The Panthers had to recover after dropping the opening set 25-22. High Point led 15-7 in that frame before Winthrop responded with a six-point run and eventually took control late. Instead of letting the momentum shift dictate the afternoon, High Point regrouped and won the next three sets 25-21, 25-17 and 25-15.

Talia Lardner produced a career-high 13 kills and hit .632 to lead the Panthers’ attack. Gabby Hill added 12 kills, while Maya Bukovcan and Élodie Lalonde contributed 10 apiece. Setter Remy Catojo distributed 40 assists, helping High Point find production across several positions rather than relying on a single hitter.

The match also turned on High Point’s blocking. The Panthers finished with 15 team blocks, with Bukovcan credited with nine block assists and Lardner with eight. Jasmine Oduro added four block assists. That defensive pressure became more pronounced in the final two sets, when Winthrop found it increasingly difficult to finish points.

The second set remained tight. High Point built an early advantage before Winthrop closed the gap to 21-19, forcing a Panthers timeout. Lardner responded with two important kills and Bukovcan delivered the final point. The third set required another recovery after High Point fell behind 7-3 and later 12-9. An eight-point run, fueled in part by Lalonde, put the Panthers in command.

By the fourth set, High Point had established the rhythm it sought. The Panthers jumped ahead 6-1, extended the lead to 15-5 and closed out the match comfortably. The contrast between the opening set and the final frame illustrated the adjustments that made the conference showdown a success.

High Point improved to 11-5 overall and 5-0 in Big South play, while Winthrop fell to 8-6 and 4-1. Coach Ryan Meek emphasized the role of serving, blocking and defense in the turnaround. The Panthers travel to Charleston Southern on October 16 for their next conference test.