DANVILLE, Va. - The 25th-ranked Washington and Lee University women's volleyball team remain perfect on the 2024 season as they swept Averett University and Berea (Ky.) on Saturday afternoon.
HOW IT HAPPENED vs AVERETT (W&L, 3-0 | 25-16, 25-16, 25-19)
- The Generals (13-0, 4-0 ODAC) and Cougars (4-9, 1-2 ODAC) traded points early in the first set before an Emery Goerig service ace and an Emily Schellenberg kill gave W&L a 4-2 lead. Averett kept within one point throughout the set until the Blue and White went on a 6-1 run to extend their lead to 21-15. This run featured service aces from Avery Myers and Vivi Vasquez, along with a kill from Riley Debiec. An Allie Buchholz service ace wrapped up a four point run which gave the Generals a 25-16 win in the set.
- The Generals jumped out to an early 7-2 lead in the second set with kills from Goerig and Grace Mitchener, as well as a Buchholz service ace. The Cougars cut the deficit to two, but W&L responded with a five-point swing to take a 16-9 lead, highlighted by a pair of kills from Schellenberg and another service ace from Buchholz. After some back-and-forth action, the Generals held a 24-16 lead before Mitchener finished off a Buchholz assist to claim the second set 25-16.
- Averett grabbed an early 9-6 lead in the third set following a kill by Destiny McIntosh. The Generals answered with an 8-1 run to take a 17-12 lead, featuring kills from Myers and Debiec, while Goerig and Buchholz each added one. A Cougars attacking error sealed the victory for the Blue and White, helping them secure the set 25-19.
TOP PERFORMERS
- Grace Mitchener led all players with 12 kills on 22 attempts for a career-high .455 hitting percentage. She also posted her ninth double-double of the season with 17 digs. Avery Myers and Riley Debiec each contributed nine kills in the win.
- Allie Buchholz dished out a match-high 31 assists while also recording 11 digs, marking her tenth game of the season with double-digit assists and digs. She also posted a match-high four service aces.
- Emery Goerig led the team with two blocks, while Myers, Schellenberg, Mitchener, and Debiec each recorded one.
HOW IT HAPPENED vs BEREA (KY.) (W&L, 3-0 | 25-23, 25-15, 25-11)
- The Bears (3-8) jumped out to a 6-3 lead after rattling off five unanswered points, highlighted by kills from Deanna De La Torre and Alexis McCullough. The Generals responded with a six-point swing to take an 11-7 lead, featuring three kills from Avery Myers and two from Riley Debiec. Both teams traded points, maintaining a narrow one-point margin until the Generals went up 23-21 following kills from Myers and Vivi Vasquez, along with a service ace from Penelope Quiles. Mitchener capped off the set by finishing a Buchholz assist, giving the Generals a 25-23 win.
- After a back-and-forth start in the second set, the Generals used a four-point swing to take a 9-5 lead, featuring a Debiec service ace and kill. The Blue and White extended their lead to eight with a 6-0 run that included kills from Myers and Buchholz, as well as a Vasquez service ace. Back-to-back kills from Mitchener and Caroline Natwick secured the set for the Generals with a 25-15 win.
- The Generals started the third set with a 7-2 lead after a five-point swing, which featured a pair of kills from Myers and one from Mitchener. W&L extended their lead to 11 after kills by Mitchener and Natwick and a service ace from Buchholz. Back-to-back kills from Emery Goerig and Turi Trainor put the Generals up 23-10 before two straight attacking errors secured the sweep for W&L.
TOP PERFORMERS
- Myers led all players with 16 kills on 52 attempts for a .269 hitting percentage while also recording 12 digs. Mitchener added eight kills, and Debiec contributed seven.
- Buchholz dished out a match-high 35 assists and dug out 17 attacks. She has recorded 30 or more assists in seven games this season.
- Vasquez led the Generals with 21 digs, while Berea's Deanna De La Torre posted a match-high 24 digs. Buchholz, Debiec, and Penelope Quiles each recorded two service aces in the win.
W&L GAME NOTES
- The Generals improved to 13-0 overall and 4-0 in conference play. The Blue and White recorded 85 kills on 245 attempts for a .269 hitting percentage. They registered 18 service aces and dug out 117 attacks, averaging 19.5 digs per set.
- Avery Myers led the Generals with 25 kills on 87 attempts for a .241 hitting percentage, averaging 4.17 kills per set. Allie Buchholz dished out 66 assists across the six sets, averaging 11 per set, and led the team in digs with 28.
- Debiec, Myers and Goerig each recorded three blocks this afternoon while Trainor, Mitchener and Schellenberg each stuffed one attack.
UP NEXT
- A rematch of the 2023 Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) Championship will take place in Holekamp Gym on Wednesday, Sept. 25 as No. 25 W&L takes on Randolph-Macon College at 7 p.m.
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.
