Bridgewater, Va.- The Eagles volleyball team played Mary Washington in a non-conference match on Sept. 23, but due to a challenging matchup, they were defeated.

BC came into the game hot off victories over Greensboro and Ferrum, both of which occurred on Sept. 17 as a part of the volleyball team’s Quad Match in our very own Nininger Hall. The Eagles carried the energy from those matches, as they won six out of the eight sets they played. 

The Eagles now have a winning record of 8-6 owning a very impressive record thus far.

The Eagles’ performance in the first set of this encounter was deceiving because of its difficult beginning. Before UMW’s kill ended the set, making it 25-16, our Lady Eagles tried to claw their way back into it with a genuine chance of doing so.

“We played well and our energy was so high,” said first-year Ashley Rutherford. “We implemented a lot of things that we’ve been working on over the past couple of weeks and things fell into place in that aspect. It was a good battle, and we’re ready to be back on the court tomorrow!” 

The Eagles did a fantastic job of taking advantage of the home team’s blunders after an early surge by UMW that made the score lopsided at the outset. The Eagles never held a lead in the first set, but they started to get closer following a string of errors by the home team.

Senior Grace Hayes leads the team in assists with 11. Rutherford, a sophomore, comes in second place with ten assists. First place in kills goes to first-year Faith DePew with seven, followed by Senior Ashley Casey with her own six kills. Finally, first-year Sophia Stites led the squad in digs with 14, followed by Hayes with eight.

In the second set, UMW came out strong and quickly built a 6-2 lead, forcing the Eagles to take a timeout. The stoppage inspired a comeback, as the deficit was soon reduced to 8-7. Seniors O’Grady and DePew tried to level the score with two kills directly after the break. Up until UMW was able to run together nine of the final 13 points to win the set 25-15, the match remained competitive as both teams traded points.

In the decisive set, Mary Washington scored eight of the opening ten points to take an 8-2 lead. As UMW maintained control of the game, they expanded their lead to 11-3 and finally won the set and the game, 25-14 and 3-0.

“Although it wasn’t the outcome we wanted, everyone fought hard and gave their all,” said senior Ann-Marie Johnson, out on injury. “UMW was a great team to play. We’re able to learn from this match and improve as a team. Now we can take this experience and use it as motivation for our future matches. I’m looking forward to our game tomorrow with excitement and confidence, knowing we’re getting better every day!” 

In four days, the Eagles will be prepared for a new beginning as they continue their journey in the Shenandoah Valley for Saturday’s 7 p.m. showdown versus Shenandoah, where they attempt a new winning streak.