Box Score
BRIDGEWATER, Va. – The Eagles fell to Averett University, 3-1, in their opening match of the Bridgewater College Invitational Friday evening.
Although Averett started off the first set with fast flying serves, the Eagles responded with a hard hitting offense to tie the set at 5-5. The Eagles would soon take the lead at a 15-10 score due to kills by Sarah Temple and Abby Mills. However the Cougars would clinch the 25-19 set win on a Bridgewater service error.
The Cougars took an early 7-1 lead in the second set but the Eagles would soon catch up with a pair of kills from Megann Grimes and Temple, along with two receiving errors committed by Averett for a 17-14 score. Averett would take the lead for the last time to secure the set win, 25-15.
Despite being two sets down, the Eagles did not let the Cougars off the hook as the teams were neck and neck for nearly the entire third set. Bridgewater would maintain the lead in the last stretch of the set as Grimes added a kill to Rachel Kinsey's pair of kills off Chelsea Owensby's serves. Owensby's final serve resulted in an attack error that would end in a 25-23 Bridgewater win and send the match into a fourth set.
Bridgewater's fourth set started out on a similar path as the previous set as Carleigh Studtmann served hard-hitting points to put the Eagles ahead. But Averett would overtake the Eagles in the end as a final kill from Hannah Shields would claim the Cougars a 25-22 set win and a 3-1 match victory.
Mills, Grimes, and Studtmann led offense for the Eagles, collecting 10 kills apiece. Nikki Snyder led the defense with 11 digs while Shannon Skellchock had 21 assists in the match.
Averett's offense was led Hannah Shields who had 21 kills in the match with Sarah Smoot adding 13. Christana Summa led the defense with 12 digs while Nicole Barringer notched 37 assists.
The Eagles are back in action Saturday as they close day two of the Bridgewater College Invitational against N.C. Wesleyan at 2 p.m. followed by Gallaudet University at 6 p.m.
