HARRISONBURG, Va. -- An early season upset loss on the road was enough to motivate the Virginia Wesleyan College volleyball Marlins not to let it happen again.

Virginia Wesleyan bounced back from a disappointing 3-0 road loss to North Carolina Wesleyan College to open Old Dominion Athletic Conference competition with a 3-0 victory over the host Royals of Eastern Mennonite University. The Marlins won 25-16, 25-12, 25-17

VWC (5-2, 1-0) set the tone of the match in the first set when they sparked an 11-2 scoring run to open up a 15-6 advantage.  Lindsey Spears (Virginia Beach/Ocean Lakes), Taylor Allen (Bowie, Md./Elizabeth Seton) and Kala Guy (Fishersville, Va./Wilson Memorial) all contributed with key scoring plays in the run.  EMU (1-9, 0-1) came back strong to close to within a 21-15 score behind Monika Burkholder (Linville, Va./Eastern Mennonite), before the Marlins answered.  Tempe Martens (Severna Park, Md./Severna Park), Guy and Allen produced the points down the stretch to close the set.

After trailing 1-0 to open the second set, Virginia Wesleyan used several short runs to open up a 15-5 lead.  Marissa Wood (Chesapeake, Va./Great Bridge), Erin Paton (Chesapeake, Va./Western Branch), Guy and Martens stepped up big for the Marlins, who maintained at least a 10-point margin through the remainder of the set.

Virginia Wesleyan rode the momentum of that win into the third set and never trailed.  After Elisa Troyer (Harrisonburg, Va./Broadway) put down a kill to pull the Royals within a 6-4 score, VWC produced an 8-1 run to open up a 14-5 lead and never look back.  Allen served three aces in that run and Martens added one. EMU closed to within a 23-17 score late in the set, but the Marlins found the final two points to end the set and the match.

Guy finished with eight kills for the Marlins, who recorded 30 overall.  VWC helped its cause with 11 aces, including four each by Martens and Allen.  The Marlins also produced 38 digs, led by Paton with 13 and Martens with nine.

VWC competes again on Thursday, Sept. 16, motoring to Fredericksburg, Va., to take on the Eagles of the University of Mary Washington at 7 p.m. in a non-conference match.

--AMDG--