LEXINGTON, Va. - Opening up Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) play inside Holekamp Gym, the Washington and Lee University women's volleyball handed the University of the Lynchburg their first loss of the season with a sweep to kick off league play on a high note.
HOW IT HAPPENED (W&L, 3-0 | 25-16, 25-15, 25-18)
- The Hornets (8-1, 0-1 ODAC) jumped out to a 6-3 lead in the opening set before the Generals (6-1, 1-0 ODAC) responded with a 16-2 run, including 13 unanswered points, to take a 19-8 advantage. Grace Mitchener fueled the run with four kills, while Emma Mulvaney, Ava Fugitt and Cara Hamil each added one. Mitchener, Reese Gilla and Fugitt also contributed at the net with blocks during the stretch. The teams traded points down the stretch before Lynchburg used a 4-1 run to trim the deficit to eight. Hamil finished off an Addi Johnson assist to secure the opening set, 25-16.
- The second set featured back-and-forth action early, with the Hornets holding a 7-5 advantage. A Mitchener kill sparked a 5-1 run that gave the Blue and White a 10-8 lead. Mitchener added two more kills and a solo block during the stretch, while Gilla chipped in a kill. The teams continued to trade points until the Generals closed the frame on a 10-2 run to earn a 25-15 victory. Mitchener paced the closing stretch with four kills, while Mulvaney, Hamil and Fugitt each added one. Emily Schellenberg recorded a service ace, while Mulvaney, Gilla and Hamil contributed blocks during the run.
- Lynchburg grabbed an early 3-1 lead in the third set before the Blue and White rattled off five unanswered points to move in front, 6-3. Mulvaney, Hamil and Mitchener each recorded kills during the run. An ensuing 5-1 W&L stretch extended the advantage to four, with Fugitt adding a kill before teaming up with Ava Gaines for a block.
- The Hornets battled back to pull within two at 18-16, but consecutive kills from Hamil, Gaines and Fugitt, followed by a Mulvaney service ace, pushed the Generals' lead to 22-16. W&L closed out the match with a 3-1 run, highlighted by back-to-back kills from Mitchener and Fugitt, to secure its sixth sweep of the season.
TOP PERFORMERS
- Mitchener led all players with 19 kills on 46 swings with just one error for an impressive .391 hitting percentage. She added 12 digs to record her fifth double-double of the season. Kate Hardie paced the Hornets with nine kills on 31 swings for a .194 hitting percentage.
- Nichoson dished out a match-high 24 assists while tying for the match lead with two service aces. Kenstin Phelps led Lynchburg with 15 assists, while Alexis Scipione added 12.
- Vivi Vasquez posted a match-high 20 digs in the win, marking her fourth match of the season with at least 20 digs. Emma Mulvaney (13), Mitchener (12) and Addi Johnson (11) also reached double figures. Cambre Phillips led the Hornets with 19 digs, while Tori Williamson added 18 and Mia Hinkamper recorded 14.
- Reese Gilla led all players with five total blocks, including one solo block and four block assists. Mulvaney and Mitchener each added a solo block.
W&L GAME NOTES
- The Blue and White avenged last season's five-set loss to the Hornets, improving to 6-1 overall while opening conference play with a win.
- W&L recorded 44 kills on 131 attempts with 11 errors for a .252 hitting percentage, including a match-high .302 clip in the second set. The Generals added four service aces while tying a season high with eight blocks.
- Defensively, the Blue and White held Lynchburg to a .108 hitting percentage with 33 kills and 18 errors on 139 attempts. W&L limited the Hornets to a .071 hitting percentage in the opening set.
- Senior Vivi Vasquez is now 69 digs away from breaking Caroline Gard's '23 career digs program record of 1,849, sitting at 1,781 after tonight's match.
UP NEXT
- The Generals are back in action on Saturday, Sept 19 as they travel to Pennslyvania for the Electric City Invitational at the University of Scranton. They will take on Royals at 11 a.m. followed by Hartwick College 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.
