NEWPORT NEWS, Va. - The Washington and Lee University women's volleyball team defeated Swarthmore College in five sets before falling to Christopher Newport University in a five set thriller on Saturday afternoon inside the Freeman Center.
HOW IT HAPPENED vs SWARTHMORE
- Set Scores (19-25, 25-21, 13-25, 25-19, 15-6) - 3-2 W&L
- The Garnet battled back from a one point deficit as Jordan Perry recorded three kills to help Swarthmore take a 15-12 lead.
- After back-to-back attack errors by the Generals, Swarthmore went on a seven point run to take a 22-14 lead. Hannah Humphreys closed out the first frame with a kill to take the set 25-19.
- After falling behind 12-9, Riley Debiec recorded three-straight kills to put the Generals up 13-12 in the second set.
- Kills from Debiec, Stephanie Lynch and Lillie Holcomb helped the Generals go on a 5-1 run to take a two point lead. Debiec closed out the second frame by finishing off a Buchholz assist.
- The Garnet jumped out to a 14-4 lead in the third set before scoring the final four points to take the set 25-13.
- After trailing 6-4 early in the set, the Blue and White put together a few short runs to take a 15-12 lead.
- Swarthmore knotted the set at 15 but Grace Mitchener recorded back-to-back kills to put the Generals up 18-15. Debiec would close out another set with a kill off a Buchholz assist to send the match to a fifth set.
- The fifth set went back and forth until Debiec and Mitchener recorded two straight kills to take a three point lead. Debiec then kicked off a seven point run for the Blue and White to take down the Garnet in five sets.
W&L GAMES NOTES
- The Generals recorded 59 kills on 220 attempts with 19 errors for a .182 hitting percentage. They posted a .318 hitting percentage during the fifth and final set.
- W&L led the match in digs with 121 and ten blocks while recording six service aces.
SWARTHMORE GAME NOTES
- The Garnet fell to 12-7 on the season, dropping their second straight game of the season.
- Swarthmore led the match in points (78), kills (69), and assists (62) while recording 112 digs and six service aces.
HOW IT HAPPENED vs CHRISTOPHER NEWPORT
- Set Scores (20-25, 25-27, 25-18, 25-22, 11-15) - 3-2 CNU
- The Captains used a five point swing to break a tie as they took a 13-9 lead with kills from Kyla McIntyre, Macy Burk and Samantha Dorn.
- Kills from Emery Goerig, Diane Pierre-Louis and Debiec knotted the score at 20 late in the second set but the Captains rattled off five straight points to take set one 25-20.
- After CNU took a 4-2 lead in the second set, Goerig kicked off a five point swing to help the Generals take a 7-4 lead. Michener recorded back-to-back kills to put the Generals in front 17-15.
- CNU took a 22-21 lead late in the set and after the Generals took a 25-24 point lead after a service error, the Captains recorde three straight points to take the second frame.
- Washington and Lee found themselves with an 8-6 lead as Goerig and Debiec each recorded kills while Goerig added a service ace.
- Back and forth action had the set knotted at 15 but three Debiec kills put the Generals in front 21-16. Three attack errors and a Mitchener kill put the set away as they Generals claimed the set 25-18.
- The Blue and White used a six point run in the fourth set to take a 17-14 lead as Debiec and Mitchener each recorded kills.
- After CNU tied the set at 21, the Generals went on a 4-1 run to force a fifth set. Avery Myers recorded three straight kills in the run to help W&L take the set.
- After Diane Pierre-Louis recorded the first point with a kill, the Captains went on a five point rally to take a four point lead.
- Debiec put the set within three as she finished off a Buchholz assist but Kyla McIntyre put the match away as she finished off a Sammy Carroll assist to take the fifth set 15-11.
W&L GAMES NOTES
- The Generals suffered their second loss to the Captains as CNU defeated them in Holekamp Gym on Sept. 15. W&L falls to 15-7 on the season.
- The Blue and White recorded 61 kills on 242 attempts with 23 errors for a .157 hitting percentage. They posted a match-high .304 hitting percentage in the fourth set.
- W&L led the match in aces with seven.
CNU GAME NOTES
- The Captains improved to 18-7 on the season while moving their winning streak to two.
- Christopher Newport recorded 73 kills on 249 attempts with 27 errors for a .185 hitting percentage.
- CNU led five of the six team categories including points (88), blocks (10), assists (66) and digs (133).
TOP PERFORMERS
- Riley Debiec led the match with a career-high 26 kills against Swarthmore. The sophomore outside hitter tallied 45 total kills in both matches. Grace Mitchener tied a career-high with 16 kills against the Garnet and CNU.
- Allie Buchholz dished out a career-high 49 assists against CNU while adding 44 more assists against the Garnet.
- Vivi Vasquez dug out a career-high 33 attacks in both matches while Grace Mitchener dug out 28 attacks against Swarthmore and 18 against CNU.
- Emery Goerig recorded 11 blocks in both games including a career-high seven blocks against the Captains. Lillie Holcomb tied a career-high in blocks as she denied four Swarthmore attacks.
- Mitchener, Buchholz and McKenna Cook each record two service aces in their two matches today.
UP NEXT
- The Generals return to Holekamp Gym for the final time this season as they host Shenandoah University and Eastern University on Saturday, Oct. 28. W&L will face the Hornets at 11 a.m. followed by a 4 p.m. matchup with the Eagles.
- W&L will honor Senior Sydney Heifner following the match against Eastern.
Nestled in the mountains of Virginia, Washington and Lee University is a proud member of NCAA Division III and the Old Dominion Athletic Conference. Founded in 1749, W&L is the ninth-oldest college in the United States and a top-ranked liberal arts university. With over 500 student-athletes in 24 varsity sports, the Generals have celebrated over 265 conference championships. Learn more about the Blue and White by visiting www.generalssports.com or on social media at @WLUGenerals.
