VIRGINIA BEACH -- If the Virginia Wesleyan College volleyball team was still showing signs of jet lap from Sunday's return from weekend competition in California, the Marlins gradually recovered throughout Wednesday's 3-1 victory over the Lynchburg College Hornets.

VWC (18-7, 6-1) struggled to pull things together in the first of the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) contest at the Jane P. Batten Student Center, where Lynchburg set the early tempo and rolled to a 25-14 victory. Amanda Perry (Glen Ellyn, Ill./Glenbard West) and Sierra Strathy (Powhatan/Powhatan) led the effort close to the net with timely kills for points.

But, the host Marlins began to pull things together in the second game and continued that effort to the end.  VWC outlasted Lynchburg 26-24 in the second set and finished off the Hornets (11-10, 4-3) with 25-20 and 25-22 decisions in the next two sets.

VWC led only 18-16 in the third set, before creating some distance with a 5-1 run that opened up a 23-17 lead.  Kirstin Sessoms (Virginia Beach/Bayside), Ashley Bologna (Virignia Beach/Floyd E. Kellam), and Tiffany Barrett (Stafford/North Stafford) all came through will kills in the decisive run.

Set four saw the Marlins bolt out to an 11-4 advantage, led by Rosalind Ludovici (Virginia Beach/First Colonial), Alex Lambert (Alexandria/Hayfield), Michaela Holbrooks (Brookneal/William Campbell), and Barrett.  Aricquel Payne (Woodbridge/Osbourn Park) and Perry helped bring the Hornets back however, as Lynchburg forged in front 17-14.  But, VWC tied the set three times after that before a Holbrooks block gave the Marlins a 22-21 advantage and lead they never lost.

Barrett finished with 10 kills for the Marlins, who received eight each from Holbrooks and Lambert, and seven from Bologna. Lambert pushed her career-high kills total to 296 while Barrett improved her career-high kills total to 266. Sessoms recorded a match-high 32 assists and Barrett led three Marlins in double-figure digs with 18.  Marin Crowder (Charlottesville/Crozet Western Albemarle) produced 13 kills to increase her career total to 998.

Perry and Strathy both finished with 11 kills for Lynchburg. Sam Page (Chesterfield/Clover Hill) recorded 18 digs and Payne added 17.

Virginia Wesleyan competes again on Friday, Oct. 17, hosting Washington and Lee University's Generals in ODAC play beginning at 6:30 p.m.  The Marlins also play at home on Saturday, Oct. 18, entertaining Shenandoah University's Hornets in the annual Senior Day game starting at 12 p.m.

--AMDG--