KINGSPORT, Tenn. – The Bluefield University volleyball team powered its way into the Appalachian Athletic Conference Quarterfinals on Thursday afternoon, sweeping Spartanburg Methodist 3–0 in the opening round of the AAC Tournament at the MeadowView Marriott.

The set scores were 25–21, 25–23, 25–16.

Bluefield controlled the match from the opening serve, hitting .184 as a team while holding the Pioneers to just .041. The Rams' offense came out strong in the first set, with early kills from Rachel Sasson and Ella Gawellek helping BU build momentum en route to a 25–21 win. The second set featured long rallies and nine ties, but BU surged ahead behind its serve-receive stability and timely swings from Morgan Wigg to take a 2–0 match lead.

The third set was all Rams. Bluefield limited Spartanburg Methodist to only eight kills and forced eight errors, closing the match on a 10–3 run highlighted by relentless defensive coverage and aggressive serving.

The star of the day was Eledy Torres, who delivered a single-game program record eight service aces, surpassing the previous mark she shared earlier this season. She also anchored the defense with 22 digs and added two assists in a standout all-around performance.

Sasson led the offensive attack with 13 kills and three block assists, while Gawellek turned in one of her most efficient outings of the year with 11 kills on a .348 hitting percentage and three aces. Wigg added nine kills and three blocks, and Abbey Boehm contributed three kills and a block assist.

Setter Izabella Lechuga posted 20 assists, and fellow setter Katie Voss added 14 assists and an ace. As a team, the Rams finished with 14 service aces—one of their highest totals of the season—along with 58 digs and 10 total blocks.

With the win, Bluefield improves to 12–13 overall and picks up its first win at the AAC Tournament since 2023.

BU returns to tournament play November 14 at 11:00 a.m., taking on top-seeded Columbia International in the AAC Quarterfinals.