BOONE, N.C. – The William & Mary volleyball team picked up its second victory in as many days to close their opening weekend in the Mountaineer Classic at Appalachian State. With a final score of 3-1 (25-18, 18-25, 25-20, 25-18) over Bellarmine, the Tribe improves to 2-1 on the season while the Knights fall to 0-3.

Taylor Burrell was a consistent offensive force, picking up a career-high four aces, double digit kills and hitting 30.4%. Olivia Esposito recorded two block solos, tying her career match high. Sabrina Malcolm's 58.3% hitting percentage paced the team as she tallied seven kills and no errors.

Bellarmine got ahead early in the first set and held onto their lead or a tie until William & Mary's 16th point gave it the edge over the Knights. The Tribe was hitting at a .500 clip at the midpoint of the first set. After battling back, the Tribe defense limited Bellarmine to two points following a 16-16 tie, pulling ahead and securing a 25-18 win to open the match.

Freshman outside hitter Audrey Brcka made her collegiate debut, getting the start and making immediate impact. Brcka earned her first pair of kills in the first set and totaled seven kills on the match

Bellarmine evened the match with a win in the second set, after jumping out to another early lead over W&M.

A solo block from Esposito got the energy flowing in the third set and back-to-back kills from Sarah Callender capped a 5-0 scoring run early in the set. W&M pulled ahead following a 6-6 tie in the third set and didn't give up their lead for the remainder of the set. Taylor Burrell added four kills to her total, reaching double digit kills for the second consecutive match. The Tribe regained their edge in the match, 2-1, claiming the third set with a score of 25-20.

The Tribe turned up the heat in the decisive fourth set, taking the initial point for the first time in the match with an Amy Schwem ace. A combination of consistent offensive pressure and defensive effort prevented Bellarmine from forcing a single lead change in the final frame. Mimicking the flow of the previous set, W&M took their final lead after breaking a 6-6 tie. With an outstanding final effort, the Tribe made no errors in the fourth set, hitting with 40% accuracy. A Bellarmine attack error was the deciding point, allowing the Tribe to secure their second opening weekend win.
 
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The Tribe returns to Virginia for a midweek matchup at Old Dominion at 6:30 PM on Tuesday, August 29th.