VIRGINIA BEACH, Virginia - The Virginia Wesleyan University women's volleyball team defeated the Mounties of Mount Aloysius College and the Golden Knights of Clarkson University on Friday evening in the 2021 Marlin Invitational Volleyball Tournament in TowneBank Arena at the Jane P. Batten Student Center in Virginia Beach, VA.
GAME 1 INFORMATION
Score: Virginia Wesleyan 3 - Mount Aloysius 0 (25-14, 25-11, 25-18)
Records: Virginia Wesleyan 2-0 | Mount Aloysius 0-1
Location: TowneBank Arena | Virginia Beach
MATCH RECAP
The Marlins opened the match with five consecutive points off three kills and two Haley Sutton service aces. The Mounties came back on a 6-3 run to pull within 9-6. VWU pulled ahead six points, 15-9 following a 6-2 run after another three kills, one ace from Morgan Ludovici, and two MAC errors. Virginia Wesleyan continued to pull ahead opening an 11-point lead, 20-9, and closed out the set with each team scoring five points apiece putting the Marlins up 25-14.
After Mount Aloysius opened the second set with a 3-1 lead, Virginia Wesleyan went on a 9-1 rally to take a 10-4 lead. The Marlins went on an 8-3 run to improve their lead to 18-7 following three kills by VWU, one each from Taylor Paquette, Emma Claytor, and Kathryn Yeager. Three more Marlin kills and a Mountie error gave VWU a 22-9 lead and Virginia Wesleyan closed the set with three consecutive kills to win 25-11.
The Marlins opened the third set scoring five points including four in a row of Haley Sutton service aces. MAC got on the board pulling within two, 5-3, after three VWU errors, but the Marlins countered with a 5-1 run to lead 10-4. Virginia Wesleyan went on another 5-1 run capped by a service ace from Katie Costin. The Mounties climbed within five points. 16-11, before the Marlins opened up a nine-point lead, 20-11, after a kill from Jessica Warden. Mount Aloysius claimed seven more points before the match end with the Marlins winning 25-18 and taking the match in three sets.
KEY STATS
GAME 2 INFORMATION
Score: Virginia Wesleyan 3 - Clarkson 1 (14-25, 25-21, 27-25, 25-19)
Records: Virginia Wesleyan 3-0 | Clarkson 1-2
Location: TowneBank Arena | Virginia Beach
MATCH RECAP
The Golden Knights opened the first set with an 8-1 run getting the early lead over the Marlins. VWU found themselves trailing by ten points, 16-6, after an ace from Clarkson. CU maintained a double digit lead to win the opening set 25-14 and take the 1-0 match lead.
Clarkson again took an early lead, 3-0, and held a 6-3 lead after a Golden Knight kill. Virginia Wesleyan knotted the score at six-all following a kill from Sydney Colllins. The teams traded points but VWU put together three points taking a three-point lead, 13-10. A block from Alexis Davies-Hackenberg gave the Marlins an 18-14 lead and VWU went ahead 21-16 after an attack error by Clarkson. CU pulled within two points, 21-19, but the Marlins held off the Golden Knights to win set two 25-21.
The two teams went back and forth through the early serves of the third set and sat tied six-all after a CU kill. The Golden Knights went ahead by four, 11-7, but the Marlins responded with an 8-3 run capped by an Emma Claytor service ace putting the score at 15-14. Clarkson came back to knot the score at 21 all but the put together three points to sit at set point, 24-21. The Golden Knights scored three straight again tying the score and tying it once more at 25-all, before kills from Ludovici and Collins closed the set for VWU 27-25.
Virginia Wesleyan carried the momentum from set three into the fourth taking a 6-1 lead. The Marlins led 10-4 following a pair of kills and Golden Knight errors. VWU lead 16-8 after another CU error, but the Golden Knights climbed within two, 18-16, following an 8-2 run. The Marlins closed out the match on a 7-3 run to win 25-19 and take the match 3-1.
KEY STATS
UP NEXT
Virginia Wesleyan returns to action tomorrow, Saturday, Sept. 4th, when they wrap up day two of the Marlin Invitational Tournament. VWU takes on the Geneva College at 10 AM and the Avenging Angels of Meredith College at 12 PM.
