VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. - The Virginia Wesleyan University women's volleyball team swept both games in its doubleheader on opening day of the 2022 season. The Marlins won in three against the Pride of Greensboro College and took the the Eagles of the University of Mary Washington to five sets to claim the win.

GAME ONE INFORMATION
Score: Virginia Wesleyan 3 - Greensboro 0 (25-18, 25-23, 25-12)
Records: Virginia Wesleyan 1-0 | Greensboro 0-1
Location: Virginia Beach, VA | TowneBank Arena

MATCH RECAP
VWU opened the match on a 4-0 run before Greensboro scored a pair back-to-back putting the score at 4-2. The Marlins went on a 6-1 run opening up a 10-3 lead until the Pride scored a two on a pair of VWU attack errors. VWU held on to a five to seven point lead through the middle part of the set leading 12-7, 15-8, and 18-11. The Marlins scored three straight taking a 21-12 lead before closing the set with a 25-18 set one win.

After the Marlins opened set two 5-3, the Pride came back to take a 7-6 following three consecutive Marlin errors. Greensboro held on to a slim lead of about three points with the score sitting 18-15 following a Pride kill. VWU evened the score at 18 all after Abby Mahoney put down a pair of kills. The Marlins took the 20-19 lead but the Pride came back to knot the score at 21 all. Three kills for the Marlins put VWU up 24-21 and a kill by Morgan Ludovici put the final point on the board for set two in favor of the Marlins 25-23.

Greensboro opened the third set with a 3-1 lead but a 7-0 rally by Virginia Wesleyan put the Marlins ahead 8-3 following an Abagial Mahoney ace. The Pride pulled within three, 12-9, and 15-12, before the Marlins closed out the match on a 10-0 run spurred on by Morgan Ludovici's service run. 

• Emma Claytor led the team with 10 kills. Morgan Ludovici was next with eight of her own.
• Abbey Clayton collected five blocks while Emma Claytor and Kyleigh Castengera each collected three. 
• Haley Sutton and Salena Jones split the majority of the assists with Sutton recording 20 while Jones put up 11.
• The back line was bolstered by Becca Hallingstad with 12 digs while Ludovici gathered seven and Sutton tallied six. 

GAME TWO INFORMATION
Score: Virginia Wesleyan 3 - Mary Washington 2 (25-13, 25-20, 12-25, 22-25, 17-15)
Records: Virginia Wesleyan 2-0 | Mary Washington 1-1
Location: Virginia Beach, VA | TowneBank Arena

MATCH RECAP
 

• Abigail Mahoney led the second match of the day with 14 kills. Abbey Clayton was second with 13 kills of her own and Morgan Ludovici added 12. 
• Haley Sutton led in assists with 31 with Salena Jones adding 26.
• Becca Hallingstad and Clayton anchored the back line with 32 and 16 digs respectively.

UP NEXT
Virginia Wesleyan returns to action tomorrow morning at 10 AM when they face the Panthers from Pitt-Bradford. They play again later in the day against the Knights of Southern Virginia at 2 PM. All games will take place at TowneBank Arena in Virginia Beach, VA.