LEXINGTON, Va. - The 23rd-ranked Washington and Lee University women's volleyball team kicked off the Old Dominon Athletic Conference (ODAC) Tournament with a straight sets win over Roanoke College on Tuesday night inside Holekamp Gym.
HOW IT HAPPENED (W&L 3-0 | 25-13, 25-9, 25-23)
- The Blue and White (24-4) opened the match with a 10-2 run, fueled by two kills apiece from Ava Gaines and Grace Mitchener and one from Cara Hamil, while Mitchener and Gaines teamed up for a block. An ensuing 7-2 run from the Generals extended their lead to 17-5 as Mitchener added two more kills and a service ace, while Gaines chipped in another kill. Following a kill from Roanoke's (16-10) Kaci Morrison, W&L used a 4-1 run to extend its lead to 13. Stephanie Lynch recorded a solo block and a kill during the scoring stretch, while Hamil added a kill and Emily Schellenberg registered a service ace. The Maroons battled back to cut the deficit to 11 before an Abby Bishop service ace secured a 25-13 opening-set victory for W&L.
- W&L opened the second set with a 9-1 run that included eight unanswered points. The scoring stretch was fueled by four kills from Hamil, two from Mitchener and a block from Gaines. Following a back-and-forth stretch, the Generals built a commanding 22-6 lead with nine consecutive points, highlighted by three kills from Hamil and one apiece from Claire Hargett and Gaines. Hamil and Gaines also teamed up for a pair of blocks during the run. The Maroons responded with three consecutive points to cut the deficit to 13 before a pair of attacking errors and a kill from Charlotte Laquis secured a 25-9 second-set victory for the Blue and White.
- Roanoke battled back in the third set, jumping out to an early 4-2 lead behind a pair of kills and a block. W&L took its first lead of the frame with three unanswered points to make it 8-7, fueled by kills from Emma Mulvaney and Hamil and a service ace from Schellenberg. Both teams traded points throughout the middle of the set, with neither able to build more than a two-point advantage before the Maroons took a 20-18 lead behind two kills and a service ace. The Generals responded with a 5-1 run to reclaim a 23-21 advantage. The scoring stretch featured three Roanoke errors, a kill from Mulvaney and a service ace from Sienna Nichoson. Following a kill from Mitchener that put W&L ahead, 24-22, the Maroons registered a kill before an attacking error sealed a 25-23 third-set victory and the sweep for the Blue and White.
TOP PERFORMERS
- Zarah Love led the match with 15 kills on 34 attempts and five errors for a .294 hitting percentage. Cara Hamil reached double figures, leading the Generals with 12 kills on 28 attempts and no errors for an impressive .429 hitting percentage.
- Sienna Nichoson dished out a match-high 21 assists while adding 11 digs for her sixth double-double of the season. Raygan Wade paced the Maroons with 18 assists.
- Wade and Emily Schellenberg tied for the match high with two service aces apiece, while Nichoson, Addison Evans and Emma Mulvaney each added one. Teagan Hubble led the match with 27 digs, while three Generals reached double figures in the victory. Vivi Vasquez paced the Blue and White with 18 digs, followed by Grace Mitchener with 12 and Nichoson with 11.
- Ava Gaines led the match with three block assists and one solo block, while Stephanie Lynch added a solo block. Kaci Morrison and Gracelynn Clark led the Maroons with two block assists apiece.
W&L GAME NOTES
- The Blue and White improved to 24-4 on the season while advancing to the ODAC semifinals for the 17th consecutive season.
- W&L recorded 36 kills on 112 attempts with eight errors for a .250 hitting percentage, including a .353 clip in the second set. The Generals also registered six service aces, five blocks, 33 assists and 61 digs in the victory.
UP NEXT
- The Generals will take on third-seeded and 23rd-ranked Batten University in the ODAC Semifinals on Thursday inside Holekamp Gym 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.
