WINCHESTER, Va. - The 23rd-ranked Washington and Lee University women's volleyball team matched their best start in program history as they scored a pair of wins at the Shenandoah University Tri-Match on Saturday afternoon to move to 16-0 on the season.
HOW IT HAPPENED vs SHENANDOAH (W&L, 3-0 | 25-21, 25-9, 25-17)
- The Generals (16-0, 6-0 ODAC) and Hornets (6-8, 0-3 ODAC) were evenly matched throughout the first set, staying within one point of each other. The Generals gained a two-point advantage after back-to-back attack errors by Shenandoah. A pair of kills from Grace Mitchener extended the Generals' lead to 17-14, but two straight points from the Hornets cut the deficit to one. After more back and forth action, the Blue and White secured a 25-21 win in the first frame after a 3-1 run, highlighted by two kills from Riley Debiec.
- After SU's Ava Pannullo finished off a Kylie Danella assist to score the first point of the second set, Grace Mitchener and Avery Myers responded with back-to-back kills to give the Generals a one-point lead. The Generals and Hornets traded points until W&L went on a dominating 14-1 run to claim the second set 25-9. The run was highlighted by four kills from Myers and additional kills by Emery Goerig and Allyssah McGuire.
- After the Blue and White took a 3-1 lead with kills from Riley Debiec and Emily Schellenberg, the Hornets tied the match at three following back-to-back errors by the Generals. W&L then extended their lead to seven with an 8-1 run, highlighted by four kills from Mitchener, two from Debiec, and one from Avery Myers. A 6-1 run late in the frame put the Generals up 20-10, featuring kills from Myers and Emery Goerig, along with a Penelope Quiles service ace. The Hornets kept the match close, rattling off five straight points with kills from Cheyenne Price, Regan Minney, and Kylie Danella. However, the Generals secured their seventh straight sweep with a 4-1 run that included a Mitchener kill and three attacking errors from the Hornets.
TOP PERFORMERS
- Grace Mitchener led all players with 15 kills on 35 attempts for a .400 hitting percentage. Avery Myers registered 13 kills on 36 attempts for a .333 hitting percentage and dug out 11 attacks, earning her eighth double-double of the season.
- Allie Buchholz dished out a match-high 36 assists while recording 14 digs in the win. SU's Autumn Stroop posted a match-high 18 digs, while Hannah Hylton and Regan Minney each recorded 16 digs. Vivi Vasquez led the Generals with 15 digs in the win.
- Myers and Diane Pierre-Louis led the team with two block assists, while Riley Debiec added a solo block and an assisted block.
HOW IT HAPPENED vs PITT.-GREENSBURG (W&L, 3-0 | 25-10, 25-18, 25-11)
- The Blue and White started the first set with nine straight points, featuring five kills from Allyssah McGuire and two from Diane Pierre-Louis. A kill and service ace from Grace Mitchener put the Generals up 16-4 before Pitt.-Greensburg responded with four unanswered points to cut the deficit to eight. The Generals capped off the first frame with eight straight points for a 25-10 win, highlighted by kills from McGuire and Pierre-Louis, along with a Turi Trainor service ace.
- The second set began with an 8-2 run for the Generals, powered by kills from Mitchener, Pierre-Louis, and McGuire. Back-to-back kills from Maddie Weller and Pierre-Louis extended the Generals' lead to 16-8, but Pitt.-Greensburg trimmed the margin to five with two attacking errors and a Grace Bradley service ace. The Generals claimed the second set 25-18 after scoring five straight points, highlighted by kills from Emery Goerig, Avery Myers, and Pierre-Louis, as well as a Quiles service ace.
- W&L posted another dominant start in the third set, going on a 7-1 run with a pair of kills from McGuire and several attacking errors by Pitt.-Greensburg. Another seven-point run put the Generals up 14-3 early in the set. Kills from Mitchener and Myers, along with a Mitchener service ace, extended the lead to 12 points. Kills from Trainor and McGuire sealed another sweep for the Blue and White.
TOP PERFORMERS
- McGuire led the match with a career-high 13 kills on 22 attempts for a .500 hitting percentage. Michener added ten kills and a match-high four service aces. Myers and Pierre-Louis recorded seven kills each in the win as well.
- Turi Trainor posted a career-high 35 assists, registering two kills and eight digs while adding two service aces. Vasquez and Mitchener led the match with 13 digs each while Myers dug out 11. Madison Friess recorded a team-high 12 digs while Alanna Meloy dug out nine attacks.
W&L GAME NOTES
- The Generals matched the best start in program history, winning 16 straight games for the first time since the 2021 spring season where the Blue and White went 16-0 and claimed their 17th ODAC Championship in program history.
- The Blue and White recorded 89 kills on 224 attempts for a .326 hitting percentage, averaging 14.83 kills per set. Across six set, W&L dished out 83 assists while registering 10 service aces and 129 digs.
- Mitchener led the offensive charge with 25 kills on 59 attempts for a .339 hitting percentage. Myers followed closely behind with 20 kills and a .322 hitting percentage.
- Buchholz dished out 36 assists, averaging 12 assists per set while Trainor dished out 35 and averaged 11.67 per set. Vasquez led the Generals with 28 digs across six sets, averaging 4.67 digs per set.
UP NEXT
- The Blue and White return to Holekamp Gym for an Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) match against the Marlins of Virginia Wesleyan University at 6 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.
