DAVIDSON, N.C. – Sydney Bolding put on a jaw-dropping performance hitting .609 to highlight the Jacksonville University volleyball team's gutsy 3-1 victory at Davidson in the Wildcat Classic opener, Friday evening. 

The Hodges Mazda Player of the Game and a freshman from Easley, S.C., Bolding totaled 14 kills in 23 attempts with zero attack errors and acted as a force at the net with six blocks. She was also one of four Dolphins to tally 10 or more kills on the night – along with sophomore Lindsey Grossman (10 kills, 8 digs, .348 hit %), freshman Lexi Wierzbicki (15 kills), and senior Mallory Mattingly (19 kills, 12 digs) – and served as an integral piece of the Dolphins' lineup that took the Wildcats to extra points to win things in the fourth set, 34-32.
 

"It was a great team win tonight. We've been saying all season we're close and tonight we were able to break through," noted head coach Evan Muys. "After losing a tough five-set match [at USF] Tuesday, I loved the grit that this team showed, coming out and competing from point one."

Up two games to one, the Dolphins (3-8) were searching for their second win in three matches. The score deadlocked six different times before either side reached 15. A 4-0 run put the hosts ahead, 21-17, and the Dolphins continued to chip away at the Wildcats' lead to tie the set at 23.

Jacksonville matched Davidson point for point from then on and fought off set points at 24-23, 25-24, 26-25, and 29-28 to keep the Wildcats (5-6) in check. After reaching match point six times during that span, the Dolphins saw both points off the hands of Grossman with a solo block to give JU the lead before a kill for the win, 34-32.

Jacksonville opened the match with a 4-1 lead as the teams traded points throughout the first set. Tied at 9, the Dolphins saw a kill from Bolding and an ace from freshman Addyson Lewis to extend their lead to three, 12-9. Holding that momentum, Jacksonville used a 3-0 run to force the Wildcats into a timeout, 17-12, before scoring three of the final five points to take the first set, 25-16.

Coming out into the second set with three straight kills from Wierzbicki, Bolding, and Grossman, Jacksonville pressured the Wildcats to start the second set. With a 5-0 run in response, Davidson held the lead until the Dolphins tied the set at 18. A critical block from sophomore Natalie Martin and Bolding gave JU a one-point lead before the hosts called for a timeout. Despite the Wildcats taking the lead after the timeout, Jacksonville rattled off four straight points to end the set, 25-22.

An evenly matched battle played out in the third as neither team was able to gain as solid advantage. The momentum shifted as a 4-0 run gave Davidson the lead before a 5-0 run later in the set put the hosts in charge, 15-9. Down eight, 19-11, the Dolphins chipped away and tied the set at 24; however, the Wildcats were able to put away the final two points, 26-24.

Martin finished the day with 56 assists and eight digs, while senior Natalie Wehner added a team-high 22 digs.

The Dolphins return to action tomorrow against High Point (10 am) and Wofford (4 pm) to close out the Wildcat Classic.