SALEM, Va. - The ninth-ranked Washington and Lee University women's volleyball team kicked off Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) play with a straight sets win over Ronaoke College on Wednesday evening at the Cregger Center.
HOW IT HAPPENED (W&L 3-0, 25-10 25-15, 25-11)
- After Emma Catoe secured the first point for Roanoke (4-6, 0-1 ODAC), four attacking errors and a Grace Mitchener kill gave the Generals (8-0, 1-0 ODAC) an early 5-1 lead. Mitchener then sparked a 14-1 run for W&L that included kills from Emery Goerig, Cara Hamil, and Emily Schellenberg, along with a Nichoson service ace. The Maroons briefly cut the deficit with a Raygan Wade/Emma Catoe block, but Turi Trainor connected with Riley Debiec for the final kill to seal a 25-10 first-set win.
- The second set featured tighter play early, with Roanoke pulling ahead 6-4 after a Haley Torbet kill. Goerig answered with a kill to spark a five-point Generals run, with Mitchener adding a kill and a service ace. Later, a 7-1 surge gave W&L a 16-9 lead, highlighted by two Debiec kills and one from Reese Gilla. The Blue and White extended their advantage to 22-12 with a 6-2 run that featured a Nichoson service ace and kills from Mitchener and Gilla. Hamil closed the set with back-to-back kills during a 3-1 run for a 25-15 victory.
- Much like the first set, Roanoke struck first in the third before the Generals responded with five unanswered points for a 5-1 lead, capped by two Mitchener kills and three Maroon errors. W&L followed with an 11-1 run, featuring three Hamil kills, a Mitchener kill and ace, and a Goerig/Hamil block to build a commanding 16-3 advantage. Debiec later fueled a 6-1 run to bring the Generals to the brink of match point, and back-to-back Roanoke errors secured the 25-10 set win and a 3-0 sweep.
TOP PERFORMERS
- Mitchener led the offense with 10 kills on 40 attempts with three errors for a .175 hitting percentage, while also adding 11 digs for her fifth double-double of the season. Cara Hamil recorded a career-high nine kills on 24 swings for a .167 hitting percentage. Emma Catoe paced the Maroons with six kills on 27 attempts.
- Nichoson directed the offense with a match-high 20 assists, adding seven digs and two service aces. Raygan Wade led Roanoke with nine assists.
- On defense, Vasquez anchored the Generals with 22 digs—her second match of the season with 20 or more—while also handing out five assists. Emily Schellenberg posted a career-high 15 digs in the win. For Roanoke, Teagan Hubble collected a team-high 12 digs, while Wade and Sidney Alumbaugh each chipped in 11.
W&L GAME NOTES
- The Generals improved to 8–0 overall and 1–0 in conference play, marking their third straight season with eight consecutive wins. The victory also extended their winning streak over Roanoke to 12 matches, a run that began in 2015.
- The Blue and White tallied 30 kills on 111 attempts with 18 errors for a .108 hitting percentage, highlighted by a .162 clip in the first set. W&L forced 34 Roanoke errors, holding the Maroons to negative hitting percentages in all three sets.
- Head coach Bryan Snyder '95 reached career win No. 699, moving just one victory shy of becoming the sixth active Division III coach to achieve the 700-win milestone.
UP NEXT
- The Generals are back in action on Saturday, Sept. 13 as they travel to Pennslyvania to take on Franklin & Marshall at noon and Keystone College at 2:30 p.m. at the F&M Tri-Match.
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.
