ATHENS, Ohio – William & Mary volleyball (5-4, 0-0 CAA) fell in its first two matches of the Bobcat Invitational to NC State (6-1, 0-0 ACC) and UTEP (6-1, 0-0 CUSA) on Friday.

Match 1 – NC State
NC State took the first match in straight sets, 13-25, 25-27, 19-25, extending their win streak to five games.

W&M struck first in the opening set on a service error and the first career kill from freshman Amber Jarecki-Meyers. In her collegiate debut, Jarecki-Meyers recorded a pair of kills and a block assist, notching 2.5 points.

The Tribe jumped ahead to start the match, holding off an NC State lead until the eighth point, but the Wolfpack took command of the set after rebounding from the deficit. With eight-straight points, the Pack closed out the first set, 25-13.

The Tribe came to life in the second set, notching 14 kills, six of them from outside hitter Taylor Burrell, and hitting at a .229 clip. The teams traded scoring chances in the latter half of the second set, seeing five of the seven tied scores over the final few points. Freshmen Katherine Arnason and Audrey Brcka hammered home two kills to reach set point for the Tribe, 24-23, but the Pack came back to force a set point of their own. Emma Minnick's first kill of the match tied the teams at 25-25, but back-to-back kills from NC State's Ava Brizard concluded set two, 25-27.

Blocking played a pivotal role in keeping the Tribe in the game. With 10 team total blocks recorded, Sabrina Malcolm lead the team with 4 of her own. In her return to her home state, the Ohio native also picked up five kills and recorded perfect serving and receiving percentages in the match.

Despite the trio of Burrell, Eleanor Stothoff and Malcolm each recording three blocks in the final set, NC State outhit the Tribe. Holding off the Green and Gold for a score of 19-25 in the third set, the Wolfpack secured a 3-0 win.
 
Match 2 – UTEP
In a tightly contested final match of the day, W&M fell to the Miners, 3-1 (18-25, 26-24, 23-25, 18-25).

Stothoff had an explosive day, totaling 18 kills over the two matches with three digs and a block. Her 13 kills against UTEP led both teams in the match.

Burrell also had a standout day, reaching double-digit kills in both matches for a total of 21, and adding nine digs and an ace.

The Tribe got off to a blazing start with a 4-0 run on three UTEP errors and a kill from Stothoff. UTEP battled back and took the lead with their 12th point, dominating the latter half of the set for an 18-25 final.

Mirroring its first match of the day, William & Mary returned to the court energized for set two, capitalizing on UTEP mistakes and making big plays. Holding the Miners to a .175 attack percentage in the second frame, the Tribe maintained their edge until the Miners drove in back-to-back kills to reach set point, 24-23. The Tribe responded with a 3-0 run, including two Burrell kills, to take the set, 26-24, and even the match at 1-1.

Trading sets, the Tribe fell in the third set as UTEP got on the board first and didn't allow the Tribe to edge past three tied scores.

An 8-0 run was the highlight of the fourth frame for the Tribe, as freshman Aubrey Brcka served her first collegiate ace and a pair of Burrell kills cut the W&M deficit to three points. UTEP held onto its lead in the final frame, earning the 3-1 win with a 25-18 score in the fourth set.
 
Up Next
The Tribe are set to take on Bobcat Invitational hosts Ohio for their final game of the tournament at 2 p.m. on Saturday.

Then, W&M will return to Williamsburg to begin CAA conference play as hosts to College of Charleston at Kaplan Arena on Saturday, September 16th (2 p.m.) and Sunday, September 17th (2 p.m.).