DANVILLE, Va. -- The Bridgewater College volleyball program earned a 3-1 win against new ODAC opponent Averett on Friday night.

THE BASICS
Final Score: Bridgewater 3, Averett 1 (23-25, 25-16, 25-17, 25-22)
Records: Bridgewater 11-6, 5-0 ODAC; Averett 9-7, 4-2 ODAC

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Cougars jumped out to a 4-2 lead in the opening set before the Eagles got back in front at 9-8 after a kill by Gabby Atwell. AU went on a five-point run to force Bridgewater into calling a timeout. Both sides traded points as the Cougars sat in front 19-14, but a five-point run by the Eagles, including a pair of kills from Ashley Casey, tied the game at 19 apiece as Averett used a timeout. The home side pulled ahead by two points before BC got those two points back to tie up the set at 22-22, but Averett took three of the next four points to win the opening frame 25-23.
• The first part of the second set was all Bridgewater as it captured 11 of the first 15 points to take a commanding seven-point advantage. The lead grew to 14-6 to force Averett to use both timeouts. AU cut down the deficit off a four-point run, but the Eagles pushed forward with a pair of kills from Faith DePew and one each from Rachael Meyers and Atwell to take a 21-13 lead. The Cougars dropped three of the next four points on errors before Emma Anderson ended the set with an ace to tie the match at 1-1.
• Averett started out the third set with a lead that soon evaporated as the Eagles grabbed seven of the next nine points to take a 14-10 lead. The visitors downed back to back blocks as the Cougars called a timeout trailing 16-11. The two sides traded runs with the Eagles coming out on top after four-straight kills from Meyers to push Bridgewater ahead in the contest, 2-1. 
• The final frame mirrored the first set as both sides traded points often as neither team could gain an advantage. The Eagles garnered a run to go ahead 17-12 but the Cougars cut the lead down to 18-16. Bridgewater was the first to 20 as it led by four points to force a timeout, which worked as Averett took advantage of three errors to set the score at 21-20. The Eagles were helped out with four of their last five points coming from errors to take the set, 25-22, and the match, 3-1.

MATCH FACTS

• DePew led the team with 14 kills to go with six digs and a pair of block assists. She also downed two service aces in the win.
• Casey tallied 10 kills with three digs and two blocks, while Meyers had 10 kills on a .333 hitting percentage with five total blocks to lead the way on the nets.
• Atwell and Lisa O'Grady each finished with eight kills in the win.
• Grace Hayes set a new season high with 44 assists to go along with 14 digs.
• Grace Williams tallied 11 digs, while Emma Anderson registered 10 of her own.
• Sophia Stites led the Eagles with 20 digs and included a pair of assists.
• The Eagles struck at a .223 clip, while the Cougars hit at just a .117 mark as a team.

UP NEXT
Bridgewater is right back in action tomorrow, October 1, as it heads to Guilford for an early morning match beginning at 11 am.