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For as efficient as Francisco Pomar ran the offense, it was the setter’s blocking that helped Erskine secure one of its biggest conference wins of the season.
Pomar had back-to-back blocks late in the fourth game as Erskine defeated first-place North Greenville 16-25, 25-20, 25-22, 25-21 on Tuesday in Due West, South Carolina.
Erskine led 22-21 before Pomar had two straight blocks to set up a match-point opportunity. Middle attacker Shayo Asiru, who came off bench earlier in the fourth game to replace an injured Kacper Rybarczyk, also contributed on those two blocks to help the Fleet (7-7, 4-2 ConfCarolinas) end the match on a 5-0 run.
Along with the blocks, Pomar had 53 assists and guided the offense to a season-high .380 attack percentage. Erskine en route to their third straight victory hit more than .450 in two of the final three games, including a match-best .538 attack percentage in the second game.
Outside attacker Edgerrin Austin led all players with 20 kills on a .441 attack percentage highlighted with six kills in each of the last two games.
Austin was one of three Erskine players with double-digit kills and more than a .300 attack percentage. Opposite Jason Sall contributed 17 kills and hit .343, while Rybarczyk had 15 kills and led all players with a .550 attack percentage.
The defending ConfCarolinas champions North Greenville hit .321 in its open-game win and finished with a .246 attack percentage.
Opposite Mark Autry led North Greenville (9-4, 4-2 ConfCarolinas) with 11 kills. In addition, outside attacker Diego Rosich had 10 kills in the loss that ended the Crusaders’ four-match winning streak.
The Crusaders with this loss remain winless on the road this season and are at the start of a five-match road trip.
Erskine, which last won a ConfCarolinas championship in 2016, moved into a tie with North Greenville for second place. Lees-McRae as the only one-loss team remaining in the ConfCarolinas is now in first place.