SAU roundup: Men’s volleyball sweeps Benedict College

LAURINBURG — The St. Andrews Knights men’s volleyball team swept nonconference opponent, the Benedict College Tigers, at home Tuesday evening with set scores of 25-17, 25-22 and 25-17.

The Knights had three players post kill totals in the double digits to lead the offense: Hazem Aldeghafar (12), Aleavaro Gonzalez (11) and Kenton Bedford (10); Charlie Nelson posted six kills of his own, while Deonte Brewer posted five kills.

Dakota Hotaling tallied a staggering 43 assists, continuing his charge to break the school career record in the category; he also registered five digs and four kills.

On defense, St. Andrews’ Alex Vasquez-Sanchez led the team with nine digs; Aldeghafar followed with six of his own and Hotaling and Leonardo Cirqueira each added five to the team total.

With the win, the Knights improve their record to 5-5; Benedict drops to 0-7.

St. Andrews’ next matchups will be at home on Friday against Truett-McConnell at 2 p.m. and Warren Wilson at 6 p.m.

SAU softball falls in twin bill at Converse

The St. Andrews Knights softball team lost 18-0 in five innings and 9-2 in a doubleheader against the Converse Valkyries in Spartanburg, South Carolina, on Wednesday.

St. Andrews falls to 0-6 with the losses; Converse moves to 4-8.

Game 1

St. Andrews recorded just five hits in Game 1; the Lady Knights allowed eight runs in the first inning and 10 in the fourth.

Converse’s Ayellad Howard scored three runs with two hits and an RBI; Kayla Rocha, Emily Ingle, Sydney Watson, Victoria Dichio and Madeline Modica scored two runs each and Kiarra Thomas, Abby Bardonaro, Madison Davis, A.J. Albano and Chesney Miles scored a run apiece.

St. Andrews’ Tess Rushman had two hits.

Riley Lingerfelt (3-3) earned the win for the Valkyries, pitching all five innings and allowing five hits with two walks and 11 strikeouts.

Charlee Mullins (0-1) took the loss for the Lady Knights.

Game 2

While St. Andrews made it a seven-inning game, the Lady Knights were still unsuccessful at coming away with their first win.

Converse scored a run in the first, fourth and fifth innings and had six in the third.

Howard was 3-for-4 with two runs for the Valkyries; Miles scored two runs on two hits; Watson scored a run with two hits and three RBI; Davis had a hit, a run and three RBI and Rocha, Karleigh Crabill and Dichio scored a run each.

St. Andrews recorded only three hits; Rushman had two and Meghan Fritz had one with a run. Haley Zimmerman had the Lady Knights’ other run after being walked.

Dichio (1-4) pitched the entire game and led Converse to victory, giving up three hits and two earned runs with a walk and seven strikeouts.

Fritz (0-2) suffered the loss for St. Andrews.