NEWPORT NEWS, Va. - Meeting for the second time within a month, the 24th-ranked Washington and Lee University women's volleyball team squared off with Christopher Newport University on Saturday morning, falling to the Captains in straight sets.
HOW IT HAPPENED (CNU 3-0, 18-25, 15-25, 15-25)
- The Captains (19-7) opened up the match with five unanswered points fueled by four kills and a service ace. A Riley Debiec kill and a CNU attacking error kickstarted a 5-1 run for the Blue and White (20-6), which also saw a kill from Addi Johnson, a Cara Hamil service ace, and a solo block from Debiec. Both teams traded points, with the Captains holding a slight advantage until a 5-2 run for CNU built them a 21-15 lead. A service error and a block from Ava Gaines and Ryan Taylor halted the run, but Christopher Newport secured the first frame 25-18 with a 4-1 final run featuring three kills.
- Christopher Newport took a 3-0 lead in the second set before a kill from Debiec and an Emily Schellenberg service ace cut the lead to one. The Generals knotted the match at five with a 3-1 run featuring a pair of kills from Grace Mitchener and one from Debiec. The Captains extended their lead to seven with a 9-2 run before a Ryan Taylor kill sparked a 3-1 run to cut the deficit to five. Penelope Quiles added a service ace while Debiec secured a kill during the run. An ensuing 5-2 run from the Captains extended their lead to 21-13 before they capped off the second set with another 4-1 run to take a two-set lead.
- Both teams went on 3-1 runs to start the third set until Christopher Newport rattled off seven points to jump out to a 10-3 lead. A pair of CNU errors and a service ace from Debiec cut the deficit to six before another lengthy CNU run put them up 19-6. The Generals battled back with an 8-1 run of their own, highlighted by three kills from Hamil, one from Taylor, and a Mitchener service ace. Back-to-back kills from Simara Alexander and Debiec kept the score at 21-15 in favor of CNU until they rattled off four straight points to secure the sweep.
TOP PERFORMERS
- The Captains had three players reach double digits in kills, with Simara Alexander leading the charge with 15 kills on 25 swings with two errors for an impressive .520 hitting percentage. Alyssa Dozier and Samantha Dorn had 14 and 11 kills, respectively. Grace Mitchener led the Generals with seven kills on 38 attempts with five errors, adding 11 digs, a service ace, and a solo block.
- Fielding Croft of CNU dished out a match-high 43 assists, adding nine digs and one block. Addi Johnson and Sienna Nichoson recorded nine assists each for W&L, with Nichoson adding eight digs and Johnson contributing four.
- Maddie Hanes led both the Captains and the match with 20 digs, while Emmy Carpenedo (11) and Avery Hanly (10)also reached double figures. Mitchener and Hamil each dug out a match-high 11 attacks for the Blue and White.
- Hanly of CNU and Debiec each led the match with two service aces. Dozier posted a match-high four block assists in the win for CNU, while Debiec and Mitchener added a solo block each for the Blue and White.
W&L GAME NOTES
- The Blue and White fall to 20-6 on the season while dropping their second match to the Captains this season. They registered 24 kills on 11 swings with 12 errors for a .108 hitting percentage. W&L matched CNU in the team categories with six service aces this morning.
- Junior Vivi Vasquez moved up to No. 7 all time in the program's career record books for digs. She moved past Jennifer Lux '05 with 1,497 digs throughout her three seasons with the Blue and White.
UP NEXT
- No. 24 W&L is back in action on Friday, Nov. 7 as they take on No. 13 Berry College (Ga.) at the Emory National Invitational in Atlanta, Ga. The Generals and Vikings will square off at 4 p.m. on Court #2. There will be no live stream available but you can follow along live through the Live Stats HERE.
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.
