LEXINGTON, Va. -- The Washington and Lee volleyball team opened its 2001 season with a pair of wins in the opening round of the W&L Invitational on Friday at the Warner Center. The Generals defeated St. Mary's (Md.), 30-25, 30-23, 30-27, in their first match before downing Shenandoah, 30-24, 30-13, 30-18, in the nightcap.

In the first match, senior middle blocker Lindsay Ruckert (Metairie, La./Sacred Heart) led the way with 12 kills, three aces and six digs. Freshman outside hitter Michelle Chastain (Phoenix, Ariz./Xavier Prep) added nine kills. Freshman setter Jennifer Lux (Virginia Beach, Va./Cox) amassed a team-high 37 assists and seven digs.

In the win over Shenandoah, Ruckert again led the way with a game-high 16 kills, three aces and five digs. Chastain totaled a team-high 14 digs, while Lux collected a team-high 29 assists and nine digs.

The Generals (2-0) will return to action Saturday as they host Christopher Newport (9:30 am) and Catholic (3:30 pm) in the final day of the Invitational.

Listed below are the results from all the matches in the W&L Invitational today.

W&L d. St. Mary's, 30-25, 30-23, 30-27
Christopher Newport d. St. Mary's, 30-20, 30-22, 30-17
W&L d. Shenandoah, 30-24, 30-13, 30-18
Catholic d. Shenandoah, 30-17, 30-12, 30-18
Catholic d. Christopher Newport, 30-22, 30-23, 31-33, 30-25

-- GENERALS --