LEXINGTON, Va. - In a rematch of last year's Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) Championship, the 24th-ranked Washington and Lee University women's volleyball team fell in straight sets to Bridgewater College on Friday evening inside Holekamp Gym.
HOW IT HAPPENED (W&L, 0-3 | 19-25, 23-25, 22-25)
- The Generals (10-2, 3-1 ODAC) jumped out to an early 3-1 lead in the first set thanks to a pair of errors from the Eagles (13-1, 4-0 ODAC) and a kill from Grace Mitchener. Following back-to-back points from Bridgewater, the Blue and White took a 7-4 lead with a 4-1 run, which featured kills from Sienna Nichoson, Emma Mulvaney and Cara Hamil. The Eagles responded with a 6-2 run to take a one-point lead. W&L reclaimed a 15-12 advantage with a 5-1 run, highlighted by a pair of service aces from Emily Schellenberg and a block from Mulvaney and Reese Gilla. Bridgewater used a 5-1 run of its own to take a one-point lead before closing the set on a 7-1 run to win the opening frame, 25-19.
- The Blue and White opened the second set with a 10-2 run, fueled by three kills from Hamil, two from Gilla and one from Mulvaney, as well as a service ace from Schellenberg. Both teams traded points until the Eagles went on an 8-1 run, including seven unanswered points, to cut the deficit to one. The Generals maintained a one-point lead during a stretch in which both teams traded points until the Eagles closed the frame on a 4-1 run to win the second set, 25-23.
- The third set featured back-and-forth action from both squads until Bridgewater took a 7-3 lead after scoring four straight points. A pair of kills from Hamil and one from Ava Gaines cut the deficit to one before a 3-1 run put the Eagles back in front, 12-9. Bridgewater rattled off three straight points to take a 16-11 lead before a block from Gilla and Mulvaney and a Hamil kill cut the deficit back to three. The Blue and White continued to chip away at the Eagles' lead with a 4-1 run, which featured a kill from Mulvaney and a block from Gaines and Mitchener. Another 3-1 scoring stretch from W&L cut the deficit to 23-22 thanks to a pair of kills from Mitchener, but the Eagles scored back-to-back points to secure the sweep.
TOP PERFORMERS
- Reagan Stoop led the match with 14 kills on 44 swings with three errors for a .250 hitting percentage. Olivia Mason (12), Agnes Alford (10) and Claire Griffith (10) all reached double figures in kills for the Eagles. Cara Hamil led the Generals with 13 kills on 48 swings with five errors for a .167 hitting percentage.
- Bridgewater's Lindsay Kelley led the match with 37 assists, while Sienna Nichoson dished out a team-high 21 for the Generals. Marlee Backover posted a match-high 26 digs in the win, while three other Eagles reached double figures. Vivi Vasquez led the Blue and White with 23 digs, while Grace Mitchener added 15.
- Reese Gilla led the match with four blocks, including one solo block and three block assists, while Mulvaney added three block assists. Agnes Alford recorded a solo block and two block assists for the Eagles.
- Emily Schellenberg posted a match-high three service aces, while Claire Griffith and Alex Currie each recorded one for the Eagles.
W&L GAME NOTES
- The Blue and White dropped their second match of the season, falling to 10-2 overall with a 3-1 mark in league play. The loss also snapped their seven-match winning streak.
- W&L registered 36 kills on 148 attempts with 15 errors for a .142 hitting percentage, its second-lowest output of the season. The Generals also recorded three service aces, seven blocks, 30 assists and 78 digs in the loss.
UP NEXT
- The Generals make their first conference road trip on Wednesday, Oct. 7 as they travel to Winchester, Va. for a 6:30 p.m. first serve against Shenandoah University.
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.
