SCRANTON, Pa. - The Washington and Lee University volleyball team extended their winning streak to five as they defeated the University of Scranton and Hartwick College at the Electric City Invitational.
HOW IT HAPPENED vs SCRANTON (W&L 3-1 | 18-25, 25-19, 25-20, 25-20)
- The Royals (5-4) took an early 3-1 lead in the opening set before an Emma Mulvaney kill sparked a 7-1 run that put the Generals (8-1) in front, 8-4. Mulvaney added another kill, Cara Hamil chipped in one and Grace Mitchener recorded a pair of service aces during the stretch. Scranton responded with an 8-3 run to even the score at 11 before the teams traded the lead down the stretch. The Royals eventually broke the set open with eight unanswered points to take a 23-16 advantage before back-to-back kills from Andie Fortmeyer secured a 25-18 win.
- Kills from Reese Gilla and Vivi Vasquez, along with another Mitchener service ace, helped the Blue and White take a 4-2 lead in the second set. The Royals answered with a 7-2 run to move ahead by three before W&L responded with a 7-1 run of its own to reclaim the lead. Mitchener fueled the stretch with four kills, while Mulvaney added one, Sienna Nichoson recorded a service ace and Gilla and Mitchener teamed up for a block.
- An ensuing 8-2 run extended the Generals' advantage to 21-14. Mulvaney, Ava Gaines, Ava Fugitt and Hamil each recorded kills during the run, while Gaines and Hamil combined for a block. Scranton responded with three unanswered points, but W&L closed the frame on a 4-2 run to secure a 25-19 win. Gilla recorded back-to-back kills during the final stretch, while Mitchener and Fugitt added one apiece.
- After Daniele Kramer recorded the opening kill of the third set, the Generals rattled off four straight points to take the lead behind kills from Mitchener and Gilla and a service ace from Emily Schellenberg. The teams traded points with W&L maintaining a slight advantage before a 6-2 run pushed the lead to 15-8. Fugitt paced the stretch with two kills, while Hamil and Gilla added one apiece and Gaines recorded a solo block. The Royals battled back to pull within two late in the set, but a block from Fugitt and Gaines sparked a final 4-1 run that secured a 25-20 victory.
- The Royals and Generals traded runs throughout the fourth set, with Scranton holding a slim advantage before W&L scored four unanswered points to take an 11-9 lead. Hamil, Fugitt and Mitchener each recorded kills during the run. Following a Scranton scoring stretch, Mulvaney tallied three kills and Mitchener added a service ace to put the Blue and White ahead, 18-14.
- Four unanswered points from the Royals evened the score at 18 before W&L closed the match on a 7-1 run to secure the four-set victory. Hamil highlighted the final stretch with three kills, while Mulvaney added one.
HOW IT HAPPENED vs HARTWICK (W&L 3-0 | 25-5, 25-15, 25-11)
- The Generals opened the first set with a 6-1 run behind three kills from Grace Mitchener and service aces from Sienna Nichoson and Emily Schellenberg. An ensuing 4-2 stretch extended W&L's lead to 10-4 as Cara Hamil rattled off three consecutive kills. The Blue and White then broke the set open with 14 unanswered points to take a commanding 24-4 advantage. Ava Fugitt recorded a pair of kills during the run, while Emma Mulvaney, Hamil, Lexie Stone and Katie Stone each added one. Ava Gaines chipped in a pair of solo blocks, while Mulvaney added a service ace. Lexie Stone finished off the frame with a kill to secure a 25-5 win.
- W&L opened the second set with a 4-1 run behind a solo block from Stephanie Lynch and back-to-back service aces from Mitchener. Hartwick (5-5) responded with a 6-3 stretch to even the score at 7 before the Blue and White rattled off nine unanswered points to take a 16-7 lead. Vivi Vasquez fueled the run with three service aces, while Mitchener added three kills. Gaines, Mulvaney, Fugitt and Hamil each chipped in a kill during the stretch. The teams traded points down the stretch before the Generals closed the frame on a 5-3 run to secure a 25-15 win. Lynch, Mulvaney and Claire Hargett each recorded kills during the final stretch.
- The Generals jumped out to a 7-2 lead in the third set behind a pair of Mitchener service aces and kills from Hamil and Mitchener. The teams traded points throughout the middle of the frame, with W&L maintaining a 16-11 advantage before scoring the final nine points to complete the sweep. A Hamil kill sparked the closing run, while Addison Evans and Gaines each recorded solo blocks. Mitchener added a kill before Turi Trainor capped the match with a service ace to secure a 25-11 win.
W&L GAME NOTES
- The Generals extended their winning streak to five matches and improved to 8-1 on the season with a pair of wins on Saturday.
- W&L registered 86 kills on 261 swings for a .241 hitting percentage, averaging 12.29 kills per set. The Blue and White dished out 80 assists and recorded 17 service aces across the two victories. Defensively, the Generals tallied 139 digs, averaging 19.86 per set, while registering 15 blocks and holding Hartwick and Scranton to a combined .114 hitting percentage.
- Cara Hamil led the offense with 22 kills on 66 swings, while Grace Mitchener finished with 20 kills on 57 attempts for a .281 hitting percentage. Sienna Nichoson dished out a team-high 40 assists, while Turi Trainor added 27.
- Vivi Vasquez led the defensive effort with 40 digs, averaging 5.71 per set. Mitchener (30), Emma Mulvaney (20), Emily Schellenberg (10), Hamil (10) and Trainor (10) also reached double figures in digs. Ava Gaines led the Generals at the net with seven blocks, including five solo efforts, while Mitchener added five blocks with three solos.
UP NEXT
- The Generals return to conference play on Friday, Sept. 25 as they welcome 18th-ranked Batten Univeristy to Holekamp Gym for a 6 p.m. first serve.
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.
