Bearcats Bounce Back to Split Day at Augusta Invitational

Game 1
Game 2

Carson-Newman C-N 7-0,1-0 SAC

Lander Lander 1-4,0-0 Peach Belt

Carson-Newman C-N

7-0,1-0 SAC

Final

Sep. 05, 2026

Lander Lander

1-4,0-0 Peach Belt

Set Scores
Team	1	2	3	F
Carson-Newman C-N	25	25	25	(3)
Lander Lander	20	20	19	(0)

Shorter Short 1-5,0-0 Conference Carolinas

Lander Lander 2-3,0-0 Peach Belt

Shorter Short

1-5,0-0 Conference Carolinas

Final

Sep. 05, 2026

Lander Lander

2-3,0-0 Peach Belt

Set Scores
Team	1	2	3	4	F
Shorter Short	25	22	16	18	(1)
Lander Lander	21	25	25	25	(3)

Hailey Franklin

Game Recap: Women's Volleyball | 9/5/2026 9:29:00 PM | Hailey Franklin - Assistant Sports Information Director

Bearcats Bounce Back to Split Day at Augusta Invitational

AUGUSTA, Ga. - The Lander volleyball team bounced back from a straight-set loss to Carson-Newman with a 3-1 victory over Shorter on Saturday to split its two matches at the Augusta Invitational inside George A. Christenberry Fieldhouse.

Match one: Carson-Newman 3, Lander 0

The Bearcats opened the day with a 3-0 loss to Carson-Newman before responding in the afternoon against Shorter. After dropping the opening set to the Hawks, Lander rattled off three straight set victories to secure its second win of the season and move to 2-4 overall.

Ryleigh Willard, Karson Browning and Amelia May each recorded nine kills to lead a balanced Lander attack against the Eagles. Freshman Madeline Green directed the offense with 32 assists, while Sam Alwardt led the defensive effort with 21 digs, surpassing her previous career high of 20 sets against No. 13 Wingate earlier this season. Browning also added four blocks, while Lander held advantages in service aces (6-5) and blocks (5-2).

Match two: Lander 3, Shorter 1

The Bearcats regrouped in the second match of the day after Shorter took the opening set 25-21. Lander answered with its best offensive frame of the match at that point, putting down 17 kills to even the match with a 25-22 victory in the second.

Lander carried the momentum into the third, holding Shorter to a .071 hitting percentage while taking the frame 25-16. The Bearcats finished the comeback in the fourth, recording 14 kills on a .217 hitting percentage while limiting the Hawks to eight kills and a -.025 clip in a 25-18 victory.

Browning led the Bearcats with a season-high 16 kills while adding nine digs and two service aces. May turned in an efficient performance with 11 kills on a .381 hitting percentage and a match-high five blocks.

Quinn Butler added 11 kills and 17 digs for her third double-double of the season while also recording three service aces and three blocks. Junior transfer Olivia Shaw chipped in five kills on a .308 hitting percentage and three blocks.

Green led Lander to 52 kills with a career-high 48 assists, surpassing the 40 she recorded in her collegiate debut against Converse. Alwardt continued her strong start to the season with a career-high 26 digs, resetting the career best she had established just hours earlier against Carson-Newman.

The Bearcats improved offensively as the Shorter match progressed, hitting .156 in the opening frame before posting clips of .196, .200 and .217 over the final three sets. Lander finished with advantages in kills (52-41), assists (50-41), service aces (11-8) and blocks (8-6), while both teams recorded 73 digs.

The victory snapped a four-match skid for Lander and marked the Bearcats' first win since defeating Converse 3-1 in the season opener at Finis Horne Arena.

Lander returns to action Friday, Sept. 11, at the VSU Fall Tournament in Valdosta, Ga. The Bearcats will face host Valdosta State at 1:30 p.m. before taking on Rollins at 6 p.m. Lander will close out the tournament Saturday against Paine College at 1 p.m.

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