3
Winner Wash. & Lee WLU 3-0,0-0 ODAC
0
Hanover Han 0-1,0-0 HCAC
Winner
Wash. & Lee WLU
3-0,0-0 ODAC
3
Final
0
Hanover Han
0-1,0-0 HCAC
Set Scores
Team 1 2 3 F
Wash. & Lee WLU 25 25 25 (3)
Hanover Han 13 15 11 (0)
3
Winner Wash. & Lee WLU 4-0,0-0 ODAC
0
Centre Centre 1-1,0-0 SAA
Winner
Wash. & Lee WLU
4-0,0-0 ODAC
3
Final
0
Centre Centre
1-1,0-0 SAA
Set Scores
Team 1 2 3 F
Wash. & Lee WLU 25 25 25 (3)
Centre Centre 21 17 23 (0)
Grace Mitchener

Game Recap: Volleyball |

No. 9 Volleyball Wraps Up Opening Weekend with Pair of Wins

DANVILLE, Ky. - The ninth-ranked Washington and Lee University volleyball team swept Hanover College and Centre College on Saturday afternoon to kick off the season 4-0 for the third-straight season.


HOW IT HAPPENED vs HANOVER (W&L 3-0, 25-13, 25-15, 25-11)
  • The Blue and White (4-0) opened the match with a 6-1 run, highlighted by kills from Emery Goerig and Riley Debiec and a service ace from Vivi Vasquez. Another six-point swing, fueled by five Panther errors, extended the Generals' lead to 13-4. Both teams traded points through the middle of the set until W&L closed on a 7-1 run to secure a 25-13 victory. The final stretch included two Grace Mitchener kills along with one apiece from Caroline Natwick and Reese Gilla.
  • Hanover (0-1) started strong in the second set, building a 6-2 lead behind back-to-back service aces from Megan Vogel and two kills from Kelsey Waggoner. The Generals quickly answered with seven straight points to go ahead 9–6, a run sparked by four Mitchener kills and a block from Mitchener and Goerig. Later, W&L pulled away with a 5-1 spurt that featured kills from Debiec and Gilla. Back-to-back kills from Mitchener and Goerig stretched the lead to 23-14 before two Hanover attack errors sealed a 25-15 set-two win.
  • The Generals came out firing in the third set, racing to an 8-1 lead behind five kills from Debiec. Hanover trimmed the deficit with three straight points, but W&L responded with a commanding 12-2 run to take a 20-6 lead. The surge included three kills from Gilla, one each from Mitchener and Vasquez, and a service ace from Sienna Nichoson. Two Panther service errors and a Cara Hamil ace finished off the frame, securing the sweep and a 3-0 victory for the Blue and White.
TOP PERFORMERS
  • Mitchener led all players with 14 kills on 27 attempts for a .481 hitting percentage, marking her third straight match with double-digit kills. She also added six digs and one block assist. For Hanover, Kelsey Waggoner posted six kills, while Abbey McCoy registered five.
  • First-year Sienna Nicholson directed the offense with a match- and career-high 28 assists, while adding eight digs and a service ace. Megan Vogel paced the Panthers with 14 assists and four service aces.
  • On defense, Vasquez anchored the Generals with 17 digs and a service ace. Penelope Quiles also reached double digits with 10 digs and added two assists. For Hanover, Madison Schicker and McCoy recorded 12 and 11 digs, respectively.
 


HOW IT HAPPENED vs CENTRE (W&L 3-0, 25-21, 25-17, 25-23)
  • The Colonels (1-1) jumped out to a 5-2 lead behind kills from Syd Bietz, Hollye Tate, and Abby Swartz. Their lead extended to six after a 3-0 run, but the Generals responded with three straight points on two Centre errors and a Debiec kill. After back-and-forth play, W&L surged ahead with a 6-0 run to take an 18-16 lead. The stretch featured a Vasquez service ace, a Debiec kill, and solo blocks from Debiec and Nichoson. The Generals closed the set on a 4-1 run, highlighted by back-to-back Mitchener kills and two Centre errors, to claim a 25-20 win in the opener.
  • The Blue and White carried their momentum into the second set, racing to a 10-2 lead behind two kills apiece from Allison Young and Mitchener, a kill from Reese Gilla, and a Quiles service ace. After trading points, the Colonels cut the deficit to five with a 4-1 spurt, but W&L answered with kills from Debiec, Mitchener, and Goerig to restore an eight-point advantage. Two consecutive Centre attacking errors closed out the frame, giving the Generals a 25-17 victory.
  • Centre opened the third set on a 4-1 run with three kills and a block before W&L answered with a 5–1 stretch to grab a 7-5 lead. The run was powered by kills from Mitchener and Nichoson and a Mitchener service ace. The Colonels briefly regained the advantage with three straight points, but the Generals responded again with a 4-1 run to go up 12-10, thanks to kills from Gilla and Debiec and a block by Young and Gilla. Both teams traded points deep into the set before W&L pulled ahead 21-16 on four straight points, fueled by two Debiec kills and a Nichoson service ace. Mitchener brought the Generals to match point with a kill, but Centre rallied with three straight kills to cut the deficit to one. Nichoson then found Young for the decisive kill, sealing a 25-23 win in the third set and their fourth sweep of the weekend.
TOP PERFORMERS
  • Mitchener led the match with 16 kills on 37 attempts for a .432 hitting percentage, while adding 13 digs for her second double-double of the season. Abby Swartz paced the Colonels with nine kills on 16 attempts for a .563 hitting percentage.
  • Nichoson directed the offense with a match-high 25 assists—her fourth straight match with 20 or more—while also recording a service ace and 10 digs. Olivia Chojnacki led Centre with 22 assists, adding two service aces and five digs.
  • On defense, Vasquez anchored the Generals with a match-high 17 digs. Mitchener and Nicholson also reached double digits with 13 and 10, respectively. For the Colonels, Emersyn Pannell and Syd Bietz tallied 15 and 11 digs.
W&L GAME NOTES
  • The Generals opened the season with a perfect 4-0 record, marking the third straight year they have gone undefeated on opening weekend. Over the four matches, W&L tallied 152 kills on 416 attempts for a .274 hitting percentage, averaging 12.67 kills per set.
  • Vasquez continued her climb in the program record books, moving up three spots to No. 13 in career digs with 1,134. She surpassed Lindsay Ruckert, Laura Maurer, and Kelly McManus, and now sits just 13 digs away from moving to 12th all-time. Over the weekend, she recorded 71 digs, including 34 across Saturday's two matches.
  • Mitchener led the offense with 57 kills on 129 attempts for a .372 hitting percentage. Debiec followed with 37 kills on 109 attempts, posting a .248 hitting percentage.
  • Nichoson impressed in her debut weekend, distributing 102 assists across four matches, with 20 or more in each. She also contributed four service aces and 26 digs.
UP NEXT
  • The Blue and White are back in action next weekend as they host the W&L Invitational, taking on the University of Mary Washington on Friday at 7 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.
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