Bison Volleyball Sweeps Washington & Jefferson
Oct. 22 – WASHINGTON, Pa. – The Bethany College volleyball team (23-8, 12-3 PAC) clinched at least a first-round home game in the upcoming Presidents' Athletic Conference Championship Tournament with a 3-0 victory over Washington & Jefferson on Thursday evening.
The Green & White posted the straight-set victory over the Presidents, winning the first set 25-20 before taking sets two and three by scores of 25-17 and 25-23, respectively.
Bethany opened the match with a 25-20 win in the first game. The Bison and Presidents found themselves knotted at 12-12 midway through the game. Bethany would then use a 6-2 run to take a four-point lead. Julia Mouch (Toledo, Ohio/Sylvania Southview) tallied two kills in the run, while Dakota McKenzie (Hopewell, Ohio/West Muskingum) posted a kill and an ace. The Green & White would use the run to go on for the five-point victory, 25-20.
In the second set, the Bison found themselves once again tied early as the team traded scores over the first seven points. Following the set's sixth tie (7-7), the Bison went on a 7-2 run to put themselves in a decisive advantage. Arielle Sanders (Maple Heights, Ohio/Maple Heights) posted two kills in the run, while Dylana McKenzie (Hopewell, Ohio/West Muskingum) also added two. Bethany would push their lead to as many as nine before going on for the eight-point win, 25-17.
The third set saw some adversity for the Green & White, as the hosts ran out to a 7-1 lead to start the game. The Bison would continue to trail early, still finding themselves down six points at 10-4. From there, however, Bethany would use a 9-3 run to knot the set for the first time at 13-13. Sanders posted two kills in the six-point swing, while Mackenzie Lauber (Mansfield, Ohio/Madison) added an ace.
The two teams would find themselves knotted three more times in the set, including at 19-19 on a kill from Alexis Castro (Lorain, Ohio/Lorain). Bethany would then outscore the Presidents 6-4 to take the 25-23 victory in the set, and the match, 3-0. Castro provided the daggeDakota McKenziematch's final kill.
Overall, Sanders and Dakota McKenzie led the offense, posting nine kills, each. The Bison also controlled the match defensively, holding the Presidents to a .038 hitting percentage. Mouch led the Bethany defense with 14 of the team's 55 digs. Freshman Reilly Parker (Irwin, Pa./Norwin) tallied 11 digs while posting four service aces.
With the victory, the Bison are now 12-3 in conference play with three games against PAC opponents remaining. Thanks to their record, as well as a four-game lead over the fifth-place Presidents, the Green & White have guaranteed themselves at least the fourth seed in the PAC Championship Tournament. The Bison could still move as high as the second seed, as they trail Geneva College by just one game, with a matchup against the Golden Tornadoes looming next Thursday.
Bethany will be back in action on Saturday as they travel to Pennsylvania to take on Saint Vincent and Chatham. The Green & White will first take on the Bearcats in Latrobe at 1 p.m., before heading to Pittsburgh for a matchup with the Cougars at 6 p.m.
