Nov. 20, 2016 Quotes | Photo Gallery 
ARLINGTON, Texas - In its first-ever SBC postseason appearance, No. 2 Coastal Carolina upset No. 1 Arkansas State 3-1 to claim the 2016 Volleyball Championship Sunday at College Park Center.
Coastal Carolina (27-4) had won 16 consecutive matches prior to Sunday's win and is now 36-24 all-time in conference tournament competitions. The Chanticleers posted the league's best season at 27 wins with a 15-1 performance in the SBC.
The squad only met with Arkansas State (25-8) once prior to the championship. The Red Wolves came away with a 3-2 victory in Conway, S.C. on Sept. 25. Arkansas State's campaign ended on a 13-match win streak with a 15-1 mark in SBC play. The Red Wolves are now 7-3 in SBC Tournament final matches.
With an energetic crowd to build momentum, Arkansas State raced to a Set 1 victory 25-11 and held Coastal Carolina to a .050 hitting percentage, out-blocking the Chanticleers 3-0. Trailing 22-19 in the second frame, Coastal capitalized on offensive errors to gain a lead on a 6-1 run and even the match.
The Chanticleers used a more efficient attack in Set 3 and out-killed Arkansas State for a 25-19 win. Back-to-back kills from 2016 SBC Newcomer of the Year Tahleia Bishop and SBC Player of the Year Leah Hardeman forced an Arkansas State timeout late in the last set. The Red Wolves pushed three straight points, but a final attack error closed the case for a comeback.
Hardeman registered a double-double with 14 kills and 18 digs. Bishop added 15 kills, nine digs and a pair of blocks. Arkansas State's Kenzie Fields notched a double-double on 11 kills, 11 digs and three blocks.