ROCK HILL, S.C. — Davidson defeated William & Mary in four sets at Winthrop Coliseum on Saturday, with scores of 25-22, 17-25, 25-18, 25-20.

The Tribe (1-1) displayed resilience in the first set against Davidson (1-1), ultimately falling 25-22. The team showed strong defensive capabilities early on with Katherine Arnason and Ryann Love contributing to key blocks, including one at 8-8 that halted Davidson's momentum briefly. Audrey Brcka and Devereaux Hoxsie led the offensive efforts with crucial kills, including Brcka's kill at 20-23 that helped keep the Green and Gold within striking distance. Despite the late push that included a service ace from Arnason to narrow the gap to 24-22, Davidson secured the set with a final kill.

The second set began with a strong start for W&M, with Love and Arnason contributing to a quick 2-0 lead, following a kill by Love from Shylah Swope and a block by Arnason and Love on Davidson's attack. The Green and Gold capitalized on a series of Davidson errors and maintained momentum with a service ace from Beatriz Silva, pushing the score to 8-1. Despite a brief resurgence from Davidson, W&M maintained control throughout the set, with Olivia Esposito and Brcka each securing kills. Ultimately, Love closed the set with a decisive kill from Silva, sealing the set at 25-17.

The third set commenced with a tight exchange as W&M responded to Davidson's early 2-0 lead with a kill by Hoxsie. Despite trailing 8-5 after a series of Davidson points, the Tribe's Avery Horejsi spurred a brief comeback with a service ace, leveling the score at 8-8. Esposito and Nicole Smith stood out in the latter part of the set, combining for crucial blocks and kills, though Davidson eventually pulled ahead to secure the set 25-18.

The fourth set began with Brcka landing a kill assisted by Swope to give W&M an early lead, but the set quickly became a back-and-forth affair. Arnason was instrumental in keeping the visitors competitive, contributing crucial kills at 2-2 and 12-16. Despite Smith and Esposito's efforts to narrow the gap, Davidson capitalized on service and attack errors to maintain their advantage. The Tribe rallied late, closing the deficit to 24-20 with a block by Brcka and Arnason, but ultimately fell short as a service error concluded the set.

GAME NUGGETS

• Horejsi led the Tribe with 21 digs  
• Esposito had six total blocks
• Love added nine total blocks (one solo, eight assisted) for 8.0 points
• Arnason collected 15.0 points wit nine total blocks and a service ace
• Brcka tallied 12 kills and 12 digs

UP NEXT
The Tribe travels to Baltimore, Md. on Friday, Sep. 5 where they will face Old Dominion at the Chesapeake Employers Insurance Arena. The match is set for 10 a.m.