Marlins Swept in ODAC Opening Weekend Series

GREENSBORO, N.C.-- The Virginia Wesleyan College volleyball team competed in the first two Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) matches of the year on Saturday, dropping decisions to Emory & Henry College and Guilford College.

3-2 Loss to Emory & Henry (18-25, 25-22, 25-19, 23-25, 15-12)

Virginia Wesleyan won the first set 25-18 against the Wasps, but dropped the next two to put pressure on the fourth set.

The Marlins led 23-19, looking to head to a decisive fifth set, before Emory & Henry rallied on two kills by Tristen Pennington and a Sydney McKinney to tie the set at 23. VWC captured the next two points to take momentum into the fifth set.

VWC jumped out to an early 10-6 lead in the fifth set, needing just five points to win its first ODAC decision. A combination of Pennington and McKinney, who provided two kills each, combined with Marlin errors resulted in eight-straight points for E&H and a 14-10 commanding lead. VWC fought back with a pair of kills by Allison Mackley, but the Wasps closed it out on a McKinney kill.

3-1 Loss to Guilford (25-17, 25-17, 21-25, 25-22)

The Marlins dropped the first two sets against Guilford on Saturday before rallying for a third-set win, ultimately falling in four.

Guilford tried to close out the match in three sets, but with the match tied at 16 the Marlins rallied ahead. Kills by Elizabeth Britton and Colleen Smith and a Tiffany Barrett ace pushed VWC up 20-16. The Quakers did not get closer than three points the rest of the set.

Kristina Scott led the Marlins with 15 kills while Emilee Pierson contributed 29 assists and Barrett, 22 digs.

Virginia Wesleyan (5-7/0-2) hosts No. 9 Christopher Newport University (8-3) Tuesday at 7 p.m.