BUENA VISTA, Va. — Sophomore defensive specialist Caroline Gard (Naperville, Ill./Benet Academy) registered 32 digs, which tied for the eighth-best single-match total in program history, to lead the Washington and Lee volleyball team to a 3-1 victory at Southern Virginia on Saturday.
 
The Generals (9-0) won the first two sets, 25-18 and 25-23. The Knights (6-3) answered by taking the third, 25-14. In the fourth, the two teams were tied, 7-7, but then four straight points for the Blue and White, highlighted by two kills from first-year outside hitter Sydney Heifner (Nashville, Tenn./Harpeth Hall), gave W&L an 11-7 edge.
 
The lead was 13-11 a few rallies later, and then a 5-0 spurt for the Generals, capped on a kill by senior outside hitter Kiera Borthwick (Northville, Mich./Northville), extended the advantage to 18-11. SVU trimmed the lead to three (18-15), but W&L won seven of the final 12 points to take the set, 25-20, and the match, 3-1.
 
This marks the second time in her career Gard has totaled at least 32 digs, as she also has the third-best single-match mark in program history with 38, which she tallied on November 2, 2019 against Birmingham-Southern.
 
Senior outside hitter Brynne Gould (Boone, N.C./Watauga) led the team on Saturday with 14 kills, to go with 10 digs and four blocks. Junior outside hitter Carson Allsteadt (New Canaan, Conn./New Canaan) tallied 10 kills.
 
Junior middle blocker Katy Blain (West Palm Beach, Fla./Benjamin School) notched seven kills and a career-best eight blocks, and senior outside hitter Leah Green (Longwood, Fla./Lake Highland Preparatory School) had seven kills. Sophomore setter Ashley Webb (Thousand Oaks, Calif./Westlake) contributed 41 assists and 12 digs, and Borthwick added 12 digs.
 
Sophomore outside hitter Courtney Singleton led the Knights with 19 kills and 14 digs. Sophomore defensive specialist Sadie Barrus had a team-best 20 digs.
 
The Generals will now break for finals and return to action on Sunday, April 18 at Eastern Mennonite at 2:00 pm.