Pinehurst, NC - The Johnson & Wales Charlotte volleyball team enjoyed a successful weekend trip to Pinehurst, NC, where they participated in the Flyers Invitational hosted by Sandhills Community College. 

The Wildcats took on the host Flyers in their first match on Friday evening, and came back to win the match 3-1 despite losing the first set 25-11. They were led by Ahmarie Young's 14 kills, 22 digs, and 2 solo blocks. Aimee Evans added 8 kills and 3 solo blocks, while Mikayla Seymour-Tucker tallied 18 digs. Niecee Perofeta recorded 22 assists, while Logan Smith added 15 more.

JWU took on USC-Sumter in the nightcap, and put away the Fire Ants 3-0, 25-17, 25-19, and 25-20. JWU hit .213 as a team, and everyone on the roster saw action in the match. Emily Arends tallied 6 kills and 3 service aces to lead the Wildcat attack. Kaylee Atkins and Young added 5 kills each, and combined for 15 digs. Perofeta and Smith totaled 20 assists between them. 

Saturday morning's finale saw JWU fall 3-0 to an undefeated Surry CC team. The sets were competitive, with only 11 points separating the two teams in the entire match. Young had a team high 8 kills, while Kaitlyn Jaromin and Shayla Pope added six apiece. Seymour-Tucker led the defensive effort with 18 digs, while Perofeta handed out 17 assists.

Coach Phillips was very pleased with the weekend's results. "I was happy to come away with two wins on Friday night. We got experience in a tournament-like format and also had the chance for everyone to see the court. While we lost to an excellent team on Saturday, we played at a high level, and pushed them the entire match."

The Wildcats return home on Wednesday night as they play host to USC-Lancaster at 7:00pm