NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. – The Conference Carolinas Women’s Volleyball Championship semifinals saw two more upsets at the North Charleston Athletic Center. Fifth seed Converse University defeated top seed Emmanuel University and sixth seed UNC Pembroke topped second seed the University of Mount Olive.

Saturday’s championship match will start at 5:30 p.m. at the North Charleston Athletic Center in North Charleston, South Carolina.

Converse reaches the title match for the first time in program history while UNC Pembroke is making their third straight championship match appearance. The Braves won the crown in 2022 and finished runner-up last year. The matchup pits the fifth and sixth seeds, which is believed to be the first such matchup in league history.

No. 5 Converse 3, No. 1 Emmanuel 2
In what was a back-and-forth match, Converse held the lead early, but the Lions used a run in the middle of the opening set to gain the advantage. Converse held off one Lion set point, the Emmanuel converted the next chance to take the set 26-24. Emmanuel again made a late run to even the score at 21 with a 7-2 spurt. However, the Valkyries finished the set by scoring four of the final five points to even the match with the 25-22 win.

In the third set, Emmanuel used a 5-1 run to gain a 23-22 lead, but Converse fought back with three straight points to take the set 25-23. The fourth set saw Converse use a late run to pull within 21-20 following five straight points. However, Emmanuel scored three of the final four points, taking the set 25-22 to force a fifth set.

The Valkyries started the fifth set with four straight points, including two Alysha Arroyo aces to start the frame. Emmanuel fought back to within 9-7, but Converse rolled off four straight points. That was too much for Emmanuel to overcome as Converse took the set 15-9 and the match 3-2.
Megan Carpenter led Emmanuel with 16 kills while Ariel Bryant followed with 14 kills and 20 digs. Noemia Chiacchio added 14 kills and eight digs. Conference Carolinas Defensive Player of the Year, Mackenzie Day registered 39 digs.

No. 6 UNC Pembroke 3, No. 2 Mount Olive 0
UNC Pembroke picked up where they left off on Thursday night, racing out to a 15-6 lead. The Braves posted 14 kills in the opening set, accounting for a .275 attack percentage in the 25-16 victory. Mount Olive turned the tide early in the second set, scoring the first four points and taking in a 10-4 advantage. However, the Braves fought back and took a 14-13 lead with six straight points. The teams traded 2-0 runs before UNC Pembroke scored three straight to take the set 28-26.

Both offenses played well in the third set, registering 16 kills apiece, but the Braves only made one error for a .417 attack percentage in the 25-22 win to take the match 3-0. Precious Daley led UNC Pembroke with 12 kills and an attack percentage of .417. Tyler Patterson handed out 35 assists and added 11 digs. Ashlyn Stone and Callie Mullins led Mount Olive with 10 kills each while Stone added 11 digs.

Fans can watch every game of the tournament live via the Conference Carolinas Digital Network and BlueFrame at conferencecarolinasdn.com. Information regarding the championship schedule, bracket and the North Charleston Athletic Center are available at the link above.

2024 Conference Carolinas Women's Volleyball Championship
Saturday, November 16 (Nos. 4, 5 & 6 Host)
No. 11 Barton def. No. 8 King, (at Converse), 3-0 Box Score
No. 9 Southern Wesleyan def. No. 10 Young Harris (at North Greenville), 3-2 Box Score

First Round – Sunday, November 17 (Nos. 4, 5 & 6 Host)
No. 7 Shorter def. No. 12 Belmont Abbey (at UNC Pembroke), 3-2 Box Score

Second Round – Saturday, November 16 (Higher Seed Hosts)
No. 5 Converse def. No. 11 Barton, 3-0 Box Score
No. 4 North Greenville def, No. 9 Southern Wesleyan, 3-0 Box Score

Second Round – Sunday, November 17 (Higher Seed Hosts)
No. 6 UNC Pembroke def. No. 7 Shorter, 3-0 Box Score

Quarterfinals – Thursday, November 21 (North Charleston Athletic Center, North Charleston, S.C.)
No. 5 Converse def. No. 4 North Greenville, 3-0 Box Score
No. 6 UNC Pembroke def. No. 3 Francis Marion, 3-2 Box Score

Semifinals – Friday, November 22 (North Charleston Athletic Center, North Charleston, S.C.)
No. 5 Converse def. No. 1 Emmanuel, 3-2 Box Score
No. 6 UNC Pembroke def. No. 2 Mount Olive, 3-0 Box Score

Final – Saturday, November 23 (North Charleston Athletic Center, North Charleston, S.C.)
No. 6 UNC Pembroke vs. No.5 Converse, 5:30 p.m.