Raleigh, NC - The North Carolina Wesleyan volleyball team battled back from a two-set deficit to defeat William Peace in a five-set thriller Wednesday night inside the Hermann Athletic Center. The Bishops dropped the opening two sets 22–25 and 21–25 before storming back to take the next three 25–21, 25–23, and 15–10, securing their first USA South victory of the season.

The win improved NCWU to 8–9 overall and 1–4 in conference play, while William Peace fell to 7–9 and 0–4 in the USA South.

Game Summary
After a slow start in the first two sets, the Bishops found their rhythm behind strong play from outside hitter Ashley Hinton, who led the team with sixteen kills and 18.5 total points. Setter Emilee Wilson guided the offense with 43 assists and fourteen digs, while Fiona Egan and Lillian Rafferty added nine kills apiece to keep the attack balanced.

Down 0–2, Wesleyan turned the tide with a 25–21 third-set win, powered by clutch serving and improved defensive communication. The Bishops carried that momentum into the fourth set, taking a 25–23 victory in another back-and-forth battle that featured 13 tie scores and seven lead changes.

In the decisive fifth set, the Bishops jumped out to an early lead and never looked back, sealing the match 15–10 behind key points from Hinton and Sadie Schramm.

By the Numbers
Wesleyan finished with 53 kills on a .120 hitting percentage, highlighted by a 17-ace serving performance that kept the Pacers off balance. Schramm contributed seven kills and six service aces, while libero Jadyn Smith anchored the back row with a team-high 30 digs.

On the other side, William Peace posted 56 kills at a .149 clip, led by Aaliyah Anderson with fourteen and Aubrey Chesson with twelve. Despite their early advantage, the Pacers were held to a negative hitting percentage in the final set as the Bishops' defense took over.