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Stephen WilliamsPEMBROKE, N.C. – Despite dropping the opening set, the Columbus State University volleyball team rallied back for a 3-1 (19-25, 25-20, 25-19, 25-23) victory over UNC Pembroke on Friday night. The match was played in the English E. Jones Center in Pembroke, N.C.
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Megan Frame paced the Lady Cougars with 17 kills on the night, while freshman
Savannah Miller turned in the best night of her collegiate career with 15 of her own.
Cori Ehmen turned in another double-double with 42 assists and 17 digs. Junior
Caytlin Merritt also ended with 17 digs, becoming the first CSU volleyball player to reach the 1,000 dig milestone for her career.
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Columbus State (5-24, 2-15 PBC) went back and forth in the game's opening set with the two sides knotted at 19-all late. From there, the Braves took each of the next six points to win their only set of the night.
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The Lady Cougars turned things around in the second set, taking the first four points and would never look back. UNC Pembroke (8-23, 3-13) pulled to within one at 21-20, but Columbus State won the final four points to even the match. Miller led the way with six kills during the set.
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The third set played out in similar fashion to the midway point with the game tied at 14. After a UNCP error, Ehmen served back-to-back aces to spur a 5-0 CSU run that led to a third set win. Miller turn in two straight kills and Frame finished off the set as the Lady Cougars ran off the last three to take a 2-1 lead.
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The match appeared headed for a fifth set with the Braves ahead 17-11 in game four, but the Lady Cougars found a rally. Frame recorded consecutive kills to start a 4-0 run and had two more kills as part of a later 6-0 spurt that gave CSU a 21-18 lead.
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UNC Pembroke would battle back to tie the set at 21 and again at 22, but the Lady Cougars took three of the final four points to earn their second conference victory of the season.
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Columbus State will wrap up the 2015 season on Saturday at Francis Marion. First serve from Florence, S.C. is scheduled for 1 p.m.
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