VIRGINIA BEACH, Virginia - The Virginia Wesleyan University women's volleyball team fell to the Generals of Washington & Lee University in five set during a midweek ODAC match-up at TowneBank Arena in Virginia Beach, VA.
GAME INFORMATION
Score: Washington & Lee 3 - Virginia Wesleyan 2 (24-26, 22-25, 25-20, 25-16, 15-8)
Records: Virginia Wesleyan 7-3, 7-2 | Washington & Lee 11-0, 9-0
Location: TowneBank Arena | Virginia Beach, VA
MATCH RECAP
The Marlins starting the game of strong taking the first two sets from the top team in the ODAC and looked to have te match in hand, but the Generals remained calm and fought back in the next three sets to take the match 3-2 in five sets.
VWU found themselves behind, 4-1, early in the first set but went on a 5-0 run to take a 6-4 lead. W&L responded with a run of their own to open up a three-point lead, 12-9, that the Marlins would cut to one, 12-11. The Generals again pulled away leading 16-12, but the Marlins again fought back to trail one, 16-15, however, W&L went on a 7-3 run taking a five point lead, 23-18, late in the set. After each team scored a point and the score sat 24-19 in favor of Washington & Lee, scored seven straight behind service from Abigail Mahoney to win set one 26-24.
The Marlins again found themselves trailing the Generals early in the set 7-4, and 11-7, but VWU climbed back to take a one-point lead, 12-11, after strong serving from Haley Sutton that led a 5-0 run. The two teams traded point for point knotting the score six times, last at 17-all, before Virginia Wesleyan took a three point lead, 20-17. Washington & Lee scored three in a row to knot the score again at 20 all, and again at 21, but VWU closed out the set on a 41 run taking set two 25-22 over W&L.
Much like the first two sets, W&L came out of the gate strong but the Marlins fought back to take the lead 9-8 following a kill from Taylor Paquette. The Marlins opened up a four-point lead, 13-9, following an ace from Sutton. Washington & Lee did not fall down quietly as they came back to take a 16-15 lead following a 7-2 rally, but VWU reclaimed the lead 17-16 for a brief period. The Generals scored a pair of points to lead 18-17 and closed out the set from there on a 7-3 run winning set three 25-20.
Set four as neck and neck through the first 14 serves with score sitting tied at seven all. W&L took a three-point advantage, 10-7, but after a 5-3 run VWU trailed by just one, 13-12. Washington & Lee scored seven points behind service from their libero Kiera Borthwick to take a 20-13 lead and closed out the set on a 5-3 run to take the fourth set 25-16.
The fifth set was neck and neck again through the early serves of the final set. W&L took a two-point lead, 7-5, after three consecutive points but VWU responded with three straight points of their own to lead 8-7. The Generals went on an 8-0 rally to close out the match and take a 3-2 come-from-behind victory over Virginia Wesleyan.
KEY STATS
UP NEXT
Virginia Wesleyan returns to action on Thursday, April 22, when they travel to Salem, VA, to face the Maroons of Roanoke College. First serve is set for 7 PM.
