DUE WEST, SC - In front of a rowdy and energetic crowd on Sunday afternoon in Belk Arena the Erskine Women's Volleyball team completed their defense of the Conference Carolinas Tournament Championship.  The Fleet claimed their second straight tournament title, soaring past the Saints of Limestone College, 3-1.    

"I am extremely proud of our team. Throughout the entire year we have gotten key contributions from so many people. This is truly a team. We stayed the course to defend our title. They certainly deserve this," commented 2015 Conference Carolinas Coach of the Year Heather Vahjen.

In 1st set, the Fleet would battle ahead early to take a 10-7 lead.  The Saints would fight back to tie the set at 11 just a few points later.  Back to back kills by Kelly Sullivan, followed by a Sullivan block, would give the Fleet the lead at 15-12.  Marissa Greenough's kill would give the Fleet an 18-14 lead and force a Saints timeout.  Sullivan would put another kill away late in the set causing the second Limestone timeout of the set.  Erskine would finish the set, winning 25-20.  Sullivan led the attack in the 1st set with 5 kills, while Kristen Dodge had 12 assists.  Payton Duncan would lead the Fleet defense with 9 digs.

Sullivan's second block of the 2nd set pushed the Fleet ahead 6-4 before a Duncan service ace made the score 7-4.  Marissa Greenough would follow with a kill and the Saints would call timeout with the Fleet leading 8-4.  From there, the Fleet would go on a 9-3 run to stretch the lead to 17-7 forcing another Saints timeout.  Erskine would maintain its 10 point advantage through the rest of the set, and win 25-15 to take a 2-0 lead in the match.  The Fleet attack in the 2nd set was balance and efficient.   No Erskine player would have more than 3 kills in the set, but Catherine McAllister and Payton Duncan would have 3 each, while Dodge, Sullivan, and Greenough would have 2 each.  Defensively, the Fleet held the Saints to a .000 hitting percentage for the set.

The Saints would show some life in the 3rd set, jumping out to an early 11-7 lead and forcing Coach Vahjen to call her first timeout of the match.  Limestone would hold the same advantage later in the set at 17-13.  Duncan's block would bring the Fleet within two points at 22-20, but the Saints would hold off a late Erskine push to win the set 25-21.  Dodge and Greenough led the Fleet in the 3rd set with 3 kills each.  

The Fleet would surge ahead early in the 4th set.  Sami Harting would register four consecutive kills for the Fleet to give them a 14-8 lead and force a Saints timeout.  Erskine would maintain their six point advantage later in the set at 19-13.  Service errors on two consecutive attempts by the Saints would give the Fleet the lead at 21-16 and cause a Saints timeout.   A Limestone error would give the Fleet the set, 25-20, the match, 3-1, and the 2015 Conference Carolina Tournament Championship.

Erskine had three players named to the Conference Carolinas All-Tournament Team. Sophomore setter Kristen Dodge and junior defensive specialist Kendall Kirk were joined on the All-Tournament Team by tournament Most Valuable Player senior Kelly Sullivan. 

Erskine earned a second straight NCAA bid with the win. The Fleet will learn their seeding and site for the Southeast Regional in a week.