The 2010 edition of the Big South Volleyball Tournament began on Thursday with unprecedented results. For the first time in the 25 year history of the tournament, all four matches were decided in three sets. #2 High Point rolled over #7 Radford, #6 Charleston Southern upset #3 UNC Asheville, #1 Liberty had no problem with #8 Gardner-Webb and #4 Winthrop defeated #5 Coastal Carolina.
Semifinal day pits two teams who are looking for their first finals appearances in over 20 years and the two teams who have been to more finals than anyone else. High Point has never been to the Big South Championship match in volleyball and is making just its second semifinal appearance in school history. The Panthers face a Charleston Southern team who has not been to the finals since it last won the tournament in 1989. This is CSU’s second straight semifinal appearance after an 18-year absence from the semis. Winthrop and Liberty are both tied for the most conference championships (5) and finals appearances (9); one school will set a new conference mark for Finals appearances with a win tonight. Liberty is 9-5 all-time in the semifinals with two semifinal victories over Winthrop while Winthrop is 9-4 all-time in the semis but has never beaten Liberty in this round. Liberty has played in each of the last three Big South Championship games and is trying to make Karyl Bacon the first player in school history to play in four-straight Championship Matches. Winthrop on the other hand has won 16-straight sets at the Coliseum and is the only Big South team to defeat Liberty this season.
So something has to give, in both matches. Charleston Southern and High Point trying to reach heights neither school has reached and Winthrop and Liberty trying to take a step above the other. It should be exciting. Remember you can catch both matches on the Big South Network beginning at 4:30 p.m.
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