GETTYSBURG, Pa. – The Bridgewater College women's volleyball team split a pair of matches to open the season on Friday night at the Battlefield Classic.

Match One:
Final Score: Bridgewater 3, York 0 (25-10, 25-12, 25-16)
Records: Bridgewater 1-0; York 0-2
How it Happened:

• BC stepped in front 2-0 in the opening set and never looked back. An eight-point run behind pairs of Reagan Stoop service aces and Faith DePew kills put BC ahead 15-4. Bridgewater kept the momentum rolling as a kill by Brooklyn Williams followed by an Ashley Rutherford service ace wrapped up the opening set 25-10.
• The two sides split the first four points in set two before a Gabby Atwell kill put the Eagles in front 4-2. BC strung together a 10-1 run after York benefited from a service error thanks to multiple kills from Gabby Atwell and two more service aces from Stoop to jump out in front 14-4. York was able to close the gap momentarily before seven-straight points from the Eagles made it 22-7 fueled by multiple kills from Agnes Alford and DePew. Stoop sealed the deal in the second frame as her kill gave the Eagles a two-set lead after a 25-12 win in the frame.
• Set three was much tighter as the two teams sat at a 12-12 deadlock midway through the frame before a four-point swing with kills from Claire Griffith, Alfrod and Williams turned the tide. A kill from Virginia Collins wrapped up the straight set victory with a 25-16 scoreline in set three.

Match Stats:

• DePew led BC offensively with eight kills. Stop added seven while Alford accounted for six kills of her own in the win.
• Faith Shields and Rutherford accounted for 13 and 12 assists each as they split the setting duties.
• Madeline Walker's 14 digs paced the Eagles as Stoop also tossed in 11 of her own.
• BC led in every statistical category with the exception of blocks where the Spartans held a 5-2 edge.

Match Two:
Final Score: Gettysburg 3, Bridgewater 2 (30-28, 16-25, 24-26, 26-24, 15-9)
Records: Bridgewater 1-1, Gettysburg 2-0
How it Happened:

• The highly anticipated clash with the host school opened with an instant classic as the Bullets took the opening set 30-28.
• BC got the opening point of set two on a DePew kill, but Gettysburg quickly stepped ahead with a three-point swing. The Eagles slowly chipped their way back into the second frame before a 7-0 BC run capped off by another DePew kill gave Bridgewater a 13-6 lead. The two sides traded punches down the stretch before back-to-back kills from DePew gave BC a set point. The Bullets fought off the first, but a service error knotted the match at a set each after a 25-16 win in set two for the Eagles.
• Set three was no different as the two sides split the opening eight points before a four-point BC run gave the Eagles an 8-4 lead capped off by a kill from Walker. This time Gettysburg slowly chipped its way back into the set before a 4-1 BC run capped off by a block from Stoop and Rachael Meyers made it 15-11. The Eagles carried a 22-16 lead into the late portions of the set before the Bullets stormed back and had the first set point at 24-23. A service error by Gettysburg turned the tide as a pair of attack errors from GC followed and the Eagles took a 2-1 lead in the match after taking the third 26-24.
• The fourth frame saw neither team lead by more than two points until later as the Bullets took a 24-21 advantage before a kill by Stoop fought off the first set point. A service ace from Julia Bellis and a block from Atwell and Williams knotted it back up at 24-24. GC got it back together after the Eagles comeback effort and forced a decider by taking the fourth set 26-24.
• Gettysburg opened the fifth set on a 5-0 run and never looked back. BC was able to close the gap down to just a point at 8-7 after a Rutherford service ace, but Gettysburg rattled off eight of the final 10 points to secure the victory.

Match Stats:

• DePew and Stoop continued to put on a show with 13 and 12 kills respectively in the final four sets.
• Shields had a match to remember with 22 assists in the final four frames and tied for the team-high with Walker at 13 digs each.
• Gettysburg led all across the stat sheet with the exception of a 10-7 advantage for the Eagles in aces behind three each from DePew and Stoop.

Up Next:
The Eagles continue their stay up north as they take on Messiah and Gallaudet in day two of the Battlefield Classic.