ASHLAND, Va. - The 22nd-ranked Washington and Lee University women's volleyball team secured their fourth-straight Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) victory as they defeated Randolph-Macon College in straight sets on Friday night.
HOW IT HAPPENED (W&L 3-0, 25-8, 25-18, 25-17)
- After Randolph-Macon (11-6, 5-3 ODAC) notched the first point of the set, the Generals (18-4, 6-2 ODAC) went on a 7-1 run to take an early lead. The run was highlighted by a pair of kills from Grace Mitchener and one from Ryan Taylor, as well as an Addi Johnson service ace. The Blue and White followed that run up with a 12-2 scoring stretch to break the first set wide open. Emily Schellenberg added a pair of kills, while Emery Goerig and Riley Debiec added one each during the run to put W&L up 19-6. In addition, Mitchener and Penelope Quiles recorded service aces, while the team secured four blocks thanks to Debiec, Taylor, Goerig, Addi Johnson, and Schellenberg. A final 6-1 run secured a 25-8 win in the first set. Four straight kills from Schellenberg, Goerig, Johnson, and Mitchener set up a Johnson and Taylor block to seal the first frame.
- The Blue and White opened up the second set with an 8-2 lead thanks to service aces from Quiles and Mitchener, as well as a Debiec kill and a block from the Debiec and Taylor duo. A 4-1 Generals' run gave them a 13-6 advantage as Mitchener recorded three kills alongside a RMC service error. Both teams traded points during the middle of the set until the Yellow Jackets used a 4-1 run of their own to cut the W&L lead to three. However, the Blue and White responded with a 6-2 run to claim the second set 25-18. Mitchener and Debiec each recorded a pair of kills, with Schellenberg adding one, while Vasquez notched a service ace.
- Just like the first two sets, the Generals found themselves with a 7-1 lead thanks to four kills from Mitchener and one from Schellenberg. The Yellow Jackets battled back with an 8-1 run to knot the match at eight before a Debiec solo block kick started a 5-1 run to put the Generals back on top by three. Debiec and Schellenberg each recorded two kills in the run as well. Both teams traded points until the Generals took a 20-15 lead following a 5-1 run, which featured two kills and two service aces from Mitchener and one kill from Schellenberg. A final 5-1 run secured the sweep for the Blue and White as Debiec notched a pair of kills with a block alongside Goerig, a Schellenberg kill, and a Vasquez service ace.
TOP PERFORMERS
- Mitchener led the match with 15 kills on 37 swings with four errors for a .297 hitting percentage. Schellenberg and Debiec each reached double figures, recording 12 and 10 kills respectively. Mia Goode led the Yellow Jackets with nine kills on 26 swings for a .192 clip.
- Johnson dished out a match-high 27 assists in the win, adding seven digs, two blocks, and a service ace. It also marked her fifth-straight match with 25 or more assists. Caitlin Smith led RMC with 19 assists while adding six digs.
- Vasquez led the defensive efforts, digging out a match-high 15 attacks, while Quiles added 10. Goode posted a team-high 10 digs for RMC in the loss.
- Mitchener posted a match-high four service aces, while Vasquez (2), Quiles (2), and Addi Johnson (1) each recorded at least one in the win. Ryan Taylor led the match with five total blocks, including a pair of solo stops. Goerig and Debiec each added four, while three other Generals had at least one.
W&L GAME NOTES
- The Generals improved to 18-4 on the season with a 6-2 mark in conference play. The win marked the third-straight victory over the Yellow Jackets, improving the all-time series lead to 35-14.
- W&L registered 43 kills on 91 swings with 12 errors for a .341 hitting percentage, posting a match-high .360 hitting percentage in the first set. The Blue and White also recorded a match-high nine service aces, along with ten blocks and 47 digs in the win.
- Junior Vivi Vasquez moved up to eighth all-time in the program's digs record books, surpassing Cameron Hill with 1,473 digs.
UP NEXT
- The 22nd-ranked Generals will head to Virginia Beach for a Top 25 match up as they will take on No. 21 Virginia Wesleyan University at 11 a.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.
