VIRGINIA BEACH -- Once Virginia Wesleyan College's volleyball team realized it could play on even terms with perennial power Washington and Lee University, it was tough for the Generals to convince the Marlins otherwise.

A large crowd was on hand Friday at the Jane P. Batten Student Center where history was recorded when Virginia Wesleyan put together a solid effort from start to finish to pin a 3-0 loss on Washington and Lee in Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) competition.

The Marlins won back-to-back 25-23 thrillers and capped the win with a 25-16 decision ... snapping a streak of 17 straight losses to Washington and Lee since the schools began competing against each other in volleyball in 2003. While WLU dropped to 19-4 overall, and to 6-2 with its second straight ODAC loss, Virginia Wesleyan improved to 19-7 overall and to 7-1 in the league.

Senior Alex Lambert (Alexandria/Hayfield), sophomore Tiffany Barrett (Stafford/North Stafford), and rookie Ashley Bologna (Virginia Beach/Floyd E. Kellam) produced leading numbers in kills for the Marlins, who also received some timely swats from seniorMichaela Holbrooks (Brookneal/William Campbell) and junior Rosalind Ludovici (Virginia Beach/First Colonial).  The Marlins finished with a 40-34 advantage in kills overall.

Bologna, Lambert, and Holbrooks all came through with big kills in the early stages of the third set as Virginia Wesleyan bolted out to the lead and never trailed.  The Generals, led by Mackenzie Shand (Saline, Mich./Saline), Maddie Kosar (Chagrin Falls, Ohio/Gilmour Academy), and Alex Kinzer (Greenville, S.C./Eastside) pulled within two points at 8-6, but it never got closer.  The Marlins opened up a 15-9 lead, stretched it to 18-11, and enjoyed a 22-12 lead on an ace Bologna.

Set two was a little more intense, including 14 ties before VWC took the lead for good late in the match.  Washington and Lee led 19-18 when Barrett slammed the ball to the court, set up by an assist from junior Kirstin Sessoms (Virginia Beach/Bayside). Consecutive kills from Lambert and Marin Crowder (Charlottesville/Crozet Western Albemarle) pushed VWC into a 21-19 lead that stretched two 23-19 on a pair of WLU errors.  The Generals closed within 23-21, but VWC used a Lambert kill and ace to help wrap up the set.

It was a similar situation in the first set as the teams battled to 10 ties after VWC opened with a 4-0 lead. Washington and Lee led 19-17 late, but could not make it stick. The set was tied at 20 and 21 before Lambert produced a kill that gave VWC the lead for good.

Lambert finished with a match-high 10 kills, followed by Barrett with nine and Bologna with eight.  Sessoms produced a match-high 33 assists and Crowder tied with the Generals' Katie Volk (Lancaster, Calif./Quartz Hill) for match-high honors in digs with 14 each.

Kinzer led WLU's kills with seven, followed by Anna Lausberg (Ocoee, Fla./Bishop Moore Catholic), Kasey Cannon (North Wales, Pa./Mt. St. Joseph), and Shand with six each.

Virginia Wesleyan returns to competition on Saturday, Oct. 18, hosting the Hornets of Shenandoah University in a 12 p.m. start.  It will be Senior Day for the Marlins.

--AMDG--