BALTIMORE — William & Mary (3-1) secured a sweep on the first day of the UMBC Tournament, taking down Old Dominion in four sets (25-15, 14-25, 25-20, 25-19) before beating UMBC 3-1 (25-15, 14-25, 25-20, 25-19) on Friday at the Chesapeake Employers Insurance Arena.
GAME ONE: OLD DOMINION
The first set began with William & Mary taking an early lead as Devereaux Hoxsie secured a kill, assisted by Avery Horejsi, to make it 2-0. Midway through the set, a series of attack errors by Old Dominion (0-4), combined with a service ace from Beatriz Silva, allowed the Tribe to extend their lead to 11-7. Katherine Arnason and Shylah Swope effectively capitalized on Old Dominion's errors, maintaining momentum with multiple kills and blocks, leading to a final score of 25-15 in favor of William & Mary.
The second set began with an evenly contested start as W&M and Old Dominion traded points early. Nicole Smith and Audrey Brcka contributed with a kill each, helping the Tribe to keep pace. Despite a mid-set service ace by Swope and a block by Ryann Love and Hoxsie that temporarily narrowed the gap to 12-10, Old Dominion pulled ahead with a significant scoring run, capitalizing on errors to extend their advantage. Olivia Esposito delivered a late kill with an assist from Silva, but Old Dominion sealed the set with a 25-14 win.
Both teams traded early points in the fourth set, but a key service ace from Esposito at 6-7 sparked a four-point run for the Green and Gold, putting them ahead. Smith bolstered the team's effort with multiple kills, including a crucial one at 21-14 from Silva. Despite Old Dominion's attempts to rally, Arnason's final kill, assisted by Swope, clinched the set for W&M with a 25-20 victory.
In the fourth set, Silva's early involvement was key, blocking an attack error by Elisa Maggi to secure the first point. Esposito's serving turned the tide, delivering three consecutive service aces from 16-13 to 16-16, shifting the momentum in favor of the Tribe. Swope continued the surge with a service ace and a kill by Hoxsie, helping W&M finish strong with a decisive 25-19 win in the set.
STAT NUGGETS
- Esposito had six service aces, tying for second-most in a single match in program history (in the current scoring era).
- Esposito added four block assists and 10 points.
- Arnason led with nine kills.
- Smith recorded eight kills on 22 attempts for a .318 hitting percentage.
- Silva registered 14 assists.
GAME TWO: UMBC
The first set began with a back-and-forth exchange of points. Brcka and Smith showcased their offensive skills for the Tribe, each contributing critical kills that kept the scoreline tight. Despite a late surge, highlighted by Hoxsie's timely kill, UMBC (1-2) capitalized on a couple of errors and secured the set 25-21.
The Tribe executed a strategic second set, pulling ahead with a mix of strong serves and defensive blocks against UMBC. After trailing early, Hoxsie turned the momentum with two consecutive service aces at 7-5, followed by a kill to extend the lead. Silva delivered two service aces and set up pivotal points, including Smith's decisive kill at 25-23 to close the set in the Green and Gold's favor.
The third set began with UMBC securing the first three points, capitalizing on attack errors by W&M. However, the Tribe responded with a determined effort, highlighted by Arnason's consecutive kills, both assisted by Swope, to take a 9-7 lead. As the set progressed, Olivia Westfort delivered two pivotal service aces, helping to maintain a slim advantage. Ultimately, Smith's kill and a late attack error by UMBC's Jalynn Brown sealed a 25-23 victory for the visitors in a closely contested set.
The fourth set opened with a strong start from W&M, as Silva capitalized on UMBC errors to give the team an early 2-0 lead. Hoxsie was a standout performer with multiple kills, contributing significantly to the score, while Swope's service ace and Arnason's block helped extend the lead to 9-4. Despite a brief UMBC rally that tied the score at 15-15, the Tribe responded decisively with a 6-0 run, including key blocks by Westfort and Brcka, eventually sealing the set 25-19 on a bad set by UMBC's Laura Fuehrer.
STAT NUGGETS
- Smith had six kills and six block assists.
- Brcka and Hoxsie led the way with 12 kills each.
- Hoxsie had 16 total points.
- Westfort made her collegiate debut, collecting 11 block assists and two aces.
- Swope added 17 assists.
- W&M posted a .370 hitting percentage in the decisive fourth set.
UP NEXT
W&M will face Maryland on Saturday at 12:30 p.m. to wrap up the tournament.
