LEXINGTON, Va. - The Washington and Lee University women's volleyball team won their fourth-straight match as they swept No. 24 Mary Washington, 3-0, on Friday night on the first day of the W&L Invitational.
HOW IT HAPPENED vs #24 UMW (W&L, 3-0 | 25-14, 25-17, 25-20)
- Grace Mitchener ignited the offense in the first set, delivering three consecutive kills to give the Generals (4-0) an early 3-0 lead. The Blue and White maintained a comfortable advantage and then broke the set wide open with a five-point swing, thanks to three kills from Riley Debiec, extending their lead to 18-8. Alyssah McGuire capped off the set with a kill, finishing a Turi Trainor assist to secure a 25-14 victory.
- The Generals opened the second set with a six-point run, capitalizing on four errors and kills by Avery Myers and Allie Buchholz. Middle blockers Emery Goerig and Ryan Taylor combined for three consecutive kills, pushing the Generals to a 10-3 lead. The Eagles (4-3) narrowed the gap to four late in the set, fueled by three straight kills from Chloe Crosen, Avery Gallahue, and Libby Potter. However, Myers' two kills helped the Generals secure a 24-17 lead, and a Sarah Moore attacking error sealed a 25-17 win, putting W&L up 2-0.
- In the third set, Mary Washington's offense found momentum, recording five kills from three different players to take a 5-4 lead. However, the Generals responded, taking an 8-5 lead after a Mitchener kill, followed by a block from Taylor and Myers that sparked a four-point run. W&L extended their lead to 17-11 with back-to-back kills from Mitchener and Buchholz.
- After Goerig finished a Buchholz assist to give the Generals a 24-18 advantage, the Eagles scored two consecutive points off attacking errors before an Emily Flamm service error sealed the sweep.
TOP PERFORMERS
- Grace Mitchener led all players with 19 kills—the second-highest total of her career—on 43 attempts, achieving a .349 hitting percentage. Avery Myers posted a match-best .444 hitting percentage with 13 kills on 27 attempts.
- Allie Buchholz recorded a match-high 35 assists and dug out 15 attacks. Both Mitchener and Myers contributed 13 digs in the victory.
- Emily Schellenberg, Buchholz, and UMW's Lauren Foley each recorded one service ace. Ryan Taylor led the match with three blocks, while UMW's Ally Fletcher recorded two blocks.
W&L GAME NOTES
- W&L picked up their 14th victory over the Eagles, holding a 14-7 lead in the all-time series.
- The Blue and White led all team categories on Friday night, registering two services aces, three blocks and 60 digs while dishing out 47 assists.
- The Generals posted a season-high .393 hitting percentage across all three sets, including a .581 hitting percentage in the first set.
UP NEXT
- The Generals will wrap up the W&L Invitational tomorrow as they take on St. Mary's College of Maryland at 11 a.m. and Southern Virginia University at 1:30 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.
