LEXINGTON, Va. - The Washington and Lee University women's volleyball team kicked off a three-match weekend with a straight sets win over Randolph College on Friday evening.
HOW IT HAPPENED (W&L, 3-0 | 25-13, 25-14, 25-14)
- The Blue and White (12-2, 5-1 ODAC) kicked off the match with an 8-1 run, which was highlighted by a pair of blocks by Stephanie Lynch and Grace Mitchener as well as a pair of kills from Mitchener and Claire Hargett. W&L took a 13-4 lead following a 5-1 run, which saw Emma Mulvaney record a pair of kills and a service ace, while Hargett and Ava Gaines added one kill each. The WildCats (11-7, 2-3 ODAC) cut into the lead with a 4-1 run of their own before W&L took a 12-point lead with a 7-1 run. The scoring stretch featured kills from Mitchener, Lynch and Addi Johnson as well as a block from Johnson and Lynch. Both teams traded points before Mulvaney recorded a kill to secure the 25-13 win in the first frame.
- W&L opened the second set on a 5-2 run, which saw a pair of kills from Mitchener and a solo block from Lynch. The Blue and White took an 11-4 lead with an ensuing 6-1 run, which was fueled by kills from Mulvaney, Mitchener and Hargett as well as a block from Hargett and Gaines. Randolph cut the Generals' lead to five before W&L went on another lengthy run to take a 19-8 lead. The scoring stretch was highlighted by kills from Mitchener, Lynch and Hargett. Three straight errors by the WildCats put the Generals in front by 13 before Randolph went on a 4-1 run to cut the lead to 10. Just like in the first set, Mulvaney recorded a kill on the final point to secure the 25-14 win.
- Kills from Lynch and Hargett as well as a Mitchener service ace gave the Generals a 5-2 lead in the third set. After back-to-back points from the WildCats, the Blue and White rattled off four unanswered points to take a 9-4 lead. Hargett, Gaines and Lynch each recorded kills, while Turi Trainor tacked on a service ace. Randolph cut the deficit to three with a block and a kill before the Blue and White scored eight straight points to take a 17-6 lead. The scoring stretch was fueled by three consecutive service aces from Mulvaney as well as a kill from Hargett and a block by Hargett and Gaines. Following four points from the WildCats, the Generals went on a 6-1 run to take a 23-11 lead thanks to a block from Mitchener and Gaines as well as kills by Mitchener and Emily Schellenberg. Cara Hamil recorded the final kill of the evening, sealing the sweep for the Blue and White.
TOP PERFORMERS
- Mitchener led the match with 12 kills on 22 attempts with only one error for an impressive .500 hitting percentage while adding a service ace, a block and nine digs. Claire Hargett posted a career-high 10 kills in the win with a .269 hitting percentage while adding four digs and a block. Destanie Ambers led the WildCats with 10 kills on 38 swings for a .132 clip with a pair of service aces.
- Addi Johnson posted a double-double, dishing out a match-high 26 assists while digging out 14 attacks. Carly Schopp led Randolph with 12 assists while adding six digs.
- Vivi Vasquez led the match with 17 digs while adding five assists. Cameron Cox posted a team-high 10 digs for the WildCats. Stephanie Lynch register
ed a match-high three solo blocks and two block assists, while Ava Gaines added three block assists. Caroline Elliott led the WildCats with a solo block, while Makayla Waiters registered two block assists.
- Emma Mulvaney posted a match- and career-high four service aces in the win, while Mitchener and Turi Trainor added one each. Destanie Ambers led Randolph with a pair, while Waiters and Caroline Towle added one each.
W&L GAME NOTES
- The Generals notched their second straight win to move to 12-2 on the season with a 5-1 mark in conference play. The win also marked their 46th consecutive victory over the WildCats.
- W&L registered 39 kills on 96 swings with 10 errors for a .302 hitting percentage, recording a match-high .423 clip in the second set. The Generals posted six service aces, eight blocks, 35 assists and 62 digs in the win.
- Mitchener moved into the top 10 in program history for career kills, passing Nancy Reinhart '00 with 1,229 kills. She also moved up to No. 4Â all-time in career attack attempts with 3,872, moving past Anna Lausberg '16.
UP NEXT
- The Generals are back in action tomorrow as they host the W&L Tri-Match inside Holekamp Gym. W&L will take on Sweet Briar College at 11 a.m. followed by the University of Mary Washington at 4 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.
