WILBERFORCE, Ohio — The University of Charleston Golden Eagles pulled off a dramatic reverse sweep Tuesday night, rallying from a two-set deficit to defeat the Central State Marauders 3–2 in an electric five-set road match.
 
The Basics:
Location: Wilberforce, Ohio
Score: Charleston 3, Central State 2 (20–25, 23–25, 25–15, 25–21, 15–13)
Records: Charleston 4–4 overall, 0–0 EIVA | Central State 1–6 overall, 0–0 SIAC

How it Happened:
Central State controlled much of the opening set, leading for the majority of the frame and reaching 20 points first with a 20–18 advantage. Charleston stayed within reach late at 22–20, but Central State closed the set with three straight kills to secure the 25–20 win and take a 1–0 lead.

Set two followed a similar script, though the Golden Eagles appeared in position to even the match. Charleston led most of the set and built a four-point cushion late at 22–18, but Central State responded with a decisive 7–1 run to steal the set and take a 2–0 advantage.

Facing elimination, Charleston responded emphatically in the third set. The Golden Eagles jumped out early, reaching 10 points first with a 10–6 lead and extending the margin to 20–11 midway through the set. Charleston closed the frame in dominant fashion, capped by a service ace from Rafael Chrcanovic, to stay alive at 2–1.

The fourth set was tightly contested early, with both teams trading points throughout the opening stretch. Central State reached both 10 and 20 points first, but Charleston surged late. With the score tied 20–20, the Golden Eagles went on a 5–1 run to close the set 25–21 and force a decisive fifth set.

The final set featured heightened urgency from both sides. Trailing 12–10 late, Charleston responded to tie the score at 13–13 before a kill from Lucas Torres and a Central State attack error sealed the comeback and completed the reverse sweep.

Offensively
Lucas Torres led Charleston with 20 kills and two service aces, while Marton Zarka recorded 41 assists. The Golden Eagles finished with 49 kills and 11 service aces as a team.

Defensively
Charleston totaled 31 digs and 16 total blocks, with Pavlin Ivanov and Dimitris Manikas each recording four block assists. Torres added nine digs in the back row.
 
Up Next:
Charleston returns to action Thursday, Feb. 6, on the road against the University of Mount Olive Trojans at 4:00 p.m. inside Kornegay Arena in Mount Olive, N.C.