Bethany Volleyball Sweeps Washington & Jefferson
Sept. 16 – BETHANY, W. Va. – The Bethany College volleyball team (8-2, 1-1 PAC) used a solid team effort to power past Presidents' Athletic Conference foe, Washington & Jefferson College, 3-0 on Wednesday evening.
Five different players tallied at least six kills in the contest for the Bison, as the Green & White hit a combined .279 for the match. The defense also played strong, tallying 49 digs in three sets and holding the Presidents (3-4, 1-2 PAC) to a .194 hitting percentage, including a .026 in the third set.
The two teams played close for a majority of the first set with the score being knotted seven different times and neither team grabbing more than a two point advantage. That proved to be the case until the programs were tied at 17-17.
With sophomore Sumayyah Muhammad (Warren, Ohio/Warren G. Harding) serving, the Green & White embarked on a 6-0 run to open a decisive advantage. Junior Dylana McKenzie (Hopewell, Ohio/West Muskingum) added two kills in the run, while senior Julia Mouch (Toledo, Ohio/Sylvania Southview) and Allie Powell (Indianapolis, Ind. /Lawrence Central) notched a kill, each. Muhammad also added a service ace into the mix as the Bison used the run to open a 23-17 lead. Mouch then sealed the set with the final two kills, helping the Bison take game one, 25-21.
Another large run propelled the Bison to a win in the second set. With the game tied 6-6, Bethany was able to cDylana McKenzie7-1 run, opening a 13-7 lead on the Presidents. Dylana McKenzie once again was a key in the run, posting two kills, while Dakota McKenzie (Hopewell, Ohio/West Muskingum) added two aces.
Washington & Jefferson would close the gap to as few as two points on five separate occasions, but could get no closer as Bethany went on for the 25-23 win in the second set.
Once again tied 6-6 in the third set, Bethany would string together their biggest run yet, decisively taking control of the third and final game by using a 10-1 run to blow open a 17-7 lead on W&J. Mouch and freshman Reilly Parker (Irwin, Pa./Norwin) served allDakota McKenzieduring the run, which included three kills from Dakota McKenzie and two from Alexis Castro (Lorain, Ohio/Lorain). When the dust settled, the Bison had taken the set 25-12, and the matDylana McKenzie>Offensively, the Bison were able to put together a balanced attack, stemming from a combined 19 kills between Dylana McKenzie and Julia Mouch. McKenzie tallied 10 kills, while Mouch totaled nine kills while committinDakota McKenziend posting a .450 hitting percentage.
Other top offensive weapons for Bethany included seven kills from Dakota McKenzie and six kills each by Arielle Sanders (Maple Heights, Ohio/Maple Heights) and Castro. Mackenzie Lauber (Mansfield, Ohio/Madison) tallied a team-high 20 assists, while Powell finished with 17 to go along with three kills.
Defensively, the Bison were led by Parker's 22 digs. Mouch added 13 while Lauber finished with six on the day.
Another double-digit dig performance from Mouch was no surprise. She was honored before the game for reaching her 2,000 career dig in a contest with Defiance College on Sept. 11. She became just the third player in Bethany history to reach the milestone (Tiffany Hoffman, Robin (Sayre) Pietryk) and currently sits third on the all-time digs list (2,048).
Bethany will be back in action on Friday and Saturday, September 18 and 19 as they travel to Newport News, Va. to compete in a tournament hosted by Christopher Newport University. The Bison will first compete against DeSales University and Averett College on Friday. Their first contest is scheduled for a 3:00 p.m. start.
