VIRGINIA BEACH, Virginia - The Virginia Wesleyan University women's volleyball team fell to the Saints of Marymount University in four sets on Thursday evening in non-conference action at TowneBank Arena in Virginia Beach, VA. 

GAME INFORMATION
Score: Marymount 3 - Virginia Wesleyan 1 (17-25, 25-22, 31-29, 25-23)
Records: Virginia Wesleyan (1-1), Marymount (4-1)
Location: TowneBank Arena in the Jane P. Batten Student Center | Virginia Beach, VA

FIRST SET

• Virginia Wesleyan began the match taking an early 5-1 lead, however, the Saints came back to knot the score at five all as four straight points.
• The teams traded points tying the score three times before the Marlins took a three-point lead, 11-8.
• The Marlins grew their lead to four-points, 18-14, following a 7-6 run by the teams.
• VWU closed out the set giving up just three more points as the Marlins took set one 25-17

SECOND SET

• Virginia Wesleyan again took the early 6-2 lead to open the set but allowed the Saints to get back in the game and take the lead 9-7 following a 5-3 run by Marymount.
• VWU tied the score at nine all but Marymount went on a 5-2 run taking a three-point lead, 14-11.
• The Marlins closed the gap to one-point, 14-13, but the Saints responded with a 7-3 rally to lead 21-16.
• After making a substitution at setter and putting in Alexis Davies-Hackenberg, Virginia Wesleyan fought back to trail by one, 21-20.
• Marymount did just enough to score four more points taking the set from the Marlins and knotting the game at one set per team.  

THIRD SET

• Just like with sets one and two, the Marlins opened the third et with a 5-2 run, however the Saints came back to take a one-point lead 6-5 after four consecutive points.
• VWU managed to claim a three-point lead, 11-8, after a 6-3 run, but MU climbed back to stay within a point of the Marlins until the Saints reclaimed the lead 19-17 on four straight points.
• The Marlins didn't back down as they took the lead back for themselves on four consecutive kills to lead 24-23, and needing one point to take the set. 
• Back-to-back kills by Marymount gave them a 25-24 lead and forced the teams into extra points after VWU knotted the score at 25 all.
• The score tied up four times at 26, 27, 28, and 29 all, but it was Marymount who strung together two points to take the third set 31-29.

• Set four began with VWU holding a slim 4-2 lead to start and saw that lead evaporate as MU knotted the score at eight points apiece.
• The Marlins opened up a three point lead that they maintained through 13 services, despite the Saints climbing within two, 17-16 at one point, as VWU led 19-16 late in the set.
• Four back-to-back points for the Saints gave Marymount a 20-19 lead, however, VWU claimed a 21-20 lead following a pair of kills from Abigail Mahoney.
• The teams knotted the score at 21, 22, and 23 all before Marymount put together two points to close out the set 25-23 and taking the match 3-1.

KEY STATS

• Greta Coss led the Marlins with 13 kills on 27 attacks. Abigail Mahoney was second with 11 kills on 19 attacks while Nadia Scott rounded out the double-digit scorers with 10 kills.
• Haley Sutton set up the offense with 27 assists and dug up 10 attacks.
• Grace Sweers and Alexis Davis-Hackenberg shared the setting role with Sutton as they collected 14 and 12 assists respectively. 
• Cara Caruso led the defensive line with 18 digs while Scott was close behind 15 digs of her own. 

UP NEXT
Virginia Wesleyan returns to action on Tuesday, March 23rd, when they travel to Salisbury University to take on the Sea Gulls in another non-conference contest. The Sea Gulls and Marlins scrimmaged each other on March 12 with VWU claiming the four set win. The first serve of the regular season contest is set for 7 PM.