VIRGINIA BEACH -- An early-season surge continued Saturday for the Virginia Wesleyan College volleyball Marlins as they notched their seventh consecutive victory to improve to 10-2.

The Marlins won 3-0 over the visiting Maroons of Roanoke College in an Old Dominion Athletic Conference match at the Jane P. Batten Student Center.  VWC opened with a 25-19 first set win, followed with a 25-13 decision and closed out with a 25-16 victory.

Virginia Wesleyan, now 3-0 in ODAC competition, took the lead for good in the opening set on an ace by Mikaela Whitaker (Gainesville/Battlefield) and a kill by Tempe Martens (Severna Park, Md./Severna Park), giving the Marlins 10-8 edge.  That expanded to 15-10, prompting a Roanoke timeout, but the Marlins did not back down.  A kill by Kala Guy (Fishersville/Wilson Memorial), followed by a Torey Garin (Virginia Beach/Floyd E. Kellam) block opening up a 30-13 lead. Two Guy aces made it 23-14 and Martens provided the winning point on a kill.

The Marlins catapulted into a 6-0 lead in the second set and never looked back.  VWC maintained at least a five point spread the rest of the set, opening up a 23-15 lead late in the competition.  After a tip byMallory Slade (Burlington, N.C./Eastern Almanance) gave the Marlins a 24-16 lead, Martens once again finished it with a kill.

Set three was dominated by VWC, which never trailed.  Back-to-back kills by Martens followed by a tip and back-to-back kills from Taylor Allen (Bowie, Md./Bladensburg Elizabeth Seton) opening up a 20-6 Virginia Wesleyan lead.

Martens led the Marlins with nin kills, followed by Guy with eight and Allen with six.  Kerry Johnson (Richmond/J.R. Tucker) contributed with seven aces, Guy led with 11 digs, and Slade finished with 23 assists.

Rachel Kilinski (Matthews, N.C./Ridgewood) led Roanoke with five kills and Mackenzie Tyree (Daleville/Lord Botetourt) finished with 11 digs.  Shannon Stone (Williamsburg/Lafayette) added 13 assists.

Virginia Wesleyan competes again on Tuesday, Sept. 18, hosting Shenandoah University in ODAC competition at 7 p.m. in the Batten Center.

--AMDG--