LEXINGTON, Va. - The Washington and Lee University women's volleyball team punched their ticket to their 16th-straight Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) Semifinals as they defeated Shenandoah University in straight sets in the ODAC Quarterfinals on Tuesday evening.
HOW IT HAPPENED (W&L 3-0, 25-15, 25-14, 25-10)
- Shenandoah (13-11) took a 2-1 lead in the first set before a 4-1 run from the Generals (21-9) put them in front 5-3, thanks to two kills from Riley Debiec and one from Grace Mitchener. Both teams traded points until a Cara Hamil kill and three errors from the Hornets expanded the Generals' lead to four. Back-to-back kills from Debiec and Ava Gaines pushed W&L ahead 16-11 before they took a six-point lead following a 4-1 run. The scoring stretch featured three more errors from the Hornets, as well as a kill from Mitchener. Hannah Hylton slowed the run with a kill, but an ensuing 5-0 run from W&L secured the first set 25-15. The final run was highlighted by a pair of service aces from Caroline Natwick, as well as kills from Hamil and Debiec.
- The Hornets took the lead once again in the second set, but the Generals fired back with a 7-1 run to take a five-point lead, thanks to kills from Gaines and Mitchener, as well as a Debiec service ace. An ensuing 8-1 run for the Blue and White extended their lead to 16-5. The lengthy run was highlighted by three kills and a service ace from Mitchener, a kill from Sienna Nichoson and Emery Goerig, as well as an Emily Schellenberg service ace. The Generals continued to extend their lead as back-to-back kills from Hamil and Nichoson, along with a block from Debiec and Hamil, pushed them ahead 19-6. Shenandoah fought back with a pair of 3-1 runs to cut the lead to ten before Mitchener finished off a Nichoson pass to win the second frame 25-14.
- The Blue and White wasted no time in the third set, jumping out to an 8-3 lead thanks to three kills from Debiec, one from Hamil, and a Natwick service ace. Amber Shifflett broke up the run with a kill, but the Generals responded with a 7-1 run to take a ten-point lead. The run featured back-to-back service aces from Debiec, a kill from Mitchener, and a block from Nichoson and Goerig. W&L scored seven unanswered points to expand their lead to 16, thanks to three kills from Hamil and one each from Goerig and Mitchener. A kill from Allison Young and a block from Addi Johnson and Debiec put the Generals at match point, but three straight kills from the Hornets kept the match going. However, a bad set from Amanda Ingrassia sealed the sweep for W&L.
TOP PERFORMERS
- Mitchener led all players with 11 kills on 28 attempts with two errors for a .321 hitting percentage while digging out ten attacks for her 16th double-double of the season. Hamil added nine kills with a .318 clip, while Debiec recorded eight with a team-high .400 hitting percentage. Alana Washington led the Hornets with eight kills on 17 swings with four errors for a .235 hitting percentage.
- Nichoson dished out a match-high 26 assists in the win, while Amanda Ingrassia led Shenandoah with 14 assists. Susan Smith added nine in the loss as well.
- Autumn Stroop led the match with 22 digs, while Hannah Hylton cracked double figures with 13. Vasquez posted a team-high 16 digs for the Blue and White.
- Natwick recorded a match- and career-high four service aces in the win, while Debiec added three and Mitchener and Schellenberg each had one. Hannah Hylton and Amanda Ingrassia each recorded one for the Hornets.
- Debiec led the match with two blocks, while four other Generals each had one. Ashlynn Spence and Danica Duncan each stuffed one attack in the loss.
W&L GAME NOTES
- The Blue and White moved to 21–10 on the season with the win while punching their ticket to the ODAC Semifinals for the 16th-straight season.
- W&L recorded 38 kills on 98 swings with only six errors for a .327 hitting percentage, the fifth-highest this season. They led every team category this evening including points (50), kills (38), service aces (9), blocks (3), assists (37), and digs (49).
- Riley Debeic moved past Brynne Gould '22 in the career kills record book with her eight kills tonight; she now ranks tenth all-time with 1,204.
UP NEXT
- The Generals will travel to Virginia Beach, Va. to take on the top-seeded and 14th-ranked Marlins of Virginia Wesleyan University on Thursday in the semifinals. Game time for the semifinals will be made available once announced by the conference office.
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.
