BUENA VISTA, Va. — The Washington and Lee volleyball team opened the 2015 season on Tuesday, dropping a 3-2 match against Averett in a neutral-site contest at Southern Virginia.

The Cougars (2-0) won the first set, 25-23, but the Generals (0-1) took the next two, 25-22 and 25-19, to grab a 2-1 lead in the match. Averett responded by winning the fourth, 25-19, and then claimed the match by taking the fifth, 15-11.

Senior outside hitter Anna Lausberg (Ocoee, Fla./Bishop Moore Catholic) led all players with 17 kills. She also added eight digs and four assists. Junior middle blocker Mackenzie Shand (Saline, Mich./Saline) notched nine kills on 18 attempts and recorded a match-high five blocks.

Sophomore defensive specialist Katie Volk (Lancaster, Calif./Quartz Hill) led the back row for W&L with 19 digs. First-year outside hitter Meg Guignon (St. Louis, Mo./Visitation Academy) added nine kills and 10 digs. Sophomore setter Elena West (Roanoke, Va./Northside) dished out 30 assists with six digs.

Sophomore outside hitter Hannah Shields led the Cougars with 16 kills, while sophomore outside hitter Sarah Smoot tallied 10 kills. Senior defensive specialist Katelyn Holley led the AU defense with 16 digs, and sophomore defensive specialist Christiana Summa had 12 digs. First-year setter Keenan Marks registered a match-high 36 assists.

The Generals played Southern Virginia later on Tuesday.

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