BLUEFIELD, Va. – The Bluefield University women's volleyball team dropped a pair of Appalachian Athletic Conference matches over the weekend, falling to Bryan College in four sets on Friday before Tennessee Wesleyan swept the Rams on Saturday inside the Dome Gymnasium.
Following the two matches, Bluefield moves to 3-5 overall on the season and 0-2 in AAC play.
Bryan took the opening set, 25-14, before claiming the second set, 25-22, to take a 2-0 lead in the match.
Bluefield battled back in the third set, using a late rally to force extra points. The Rams trailed 22-19 before tying the set at 23-23. A kill from senior middle hitter Ella Gawellek and a block from freshman right side Ryann Marsh and junior right side Scarlett Hulse helped Bluefield secure the 26-24 victory and extend the match.
Bryan answered in the fourth set, opening an early 7-1 advantage and eventually taking a 25-9 decision to close out the match.
Senior middle hitter Morgan Wigg led the Rams offensively with 11 kills while hitting .409 for the match. Senior outside hitter Chesed Russell added 12 kills, two service aces and 14 points, while sophomore outside hitter Faith Alsup recorded seven kills. Gawellek finished with six kills, one ace and a block assist.
Sophomore setter Kylee Sturgill paced the Bluefield offense with 15 assists and eight digs, while graduate setter Izabella Lechuga contributed 14 assists, two aces and a block assist. Sophomre defensive specialist Sienna Vitelli led the defensive effort with 14 digs.
Tennessee Wesleyan 3 – Bluefield 0
The Rams opened Saturday's match with Tennessee Wesleyan by taking an early 3-0 lead in the first set. Bluefield later built a 17-13 advantage before Tennessee Wesleyan rallied to even the set at 23-23. The Bulldogs scored the final two points to claim the opening set, 26-24.
Tennessee Wesleyan carried the momentum into the second set, building an early lead and eventually taking a 25-19 win. The Bulldogs then used a late run in the third set to secure a 25-18 victory and complete the sweep.
Alsup led all Bluefield attackers with 15 kills and added 12 digs. Wigg and Gawellek each recorded seven kills, while Russell finished with six kills and Marsh added three.
Lechuga recorded a team-high 22 assists and eight digs. Sturgill added 13 assists, while Vitelli anchored the defense with 20 digs. Bluefield also received three block assists from Wigg and two each from Marsh.
The Rams return to action Tuesday, hosting Pikeville in an AAC home matchup. First serve is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. inside The Dome Gymnasium.
