The Oglethorpe volleyball team split their two Saturday matches at the MC Invitational in Maryville, Tenn., beating Capital, 3-1, before losing to Lynchburg in a hard-fought five-set barn-burner. The results put the Petrels at 8-3 on the season going into SAA play and their first home match of the season.

Saturday morning, the Petrels defeated Capital, 3-1 (25-21, 25-20, 11-25, 25-18). In the match, they got 11 kills and 18 digs from senior outside hitter McKenna Bondarenko, 12 kills and 10 digs from senior outside hitter Anna Marie DiSalvo, 27 digs from senior libero Megan Makuck, 39 assists from freshman setter Katie Stewart, 13 kills from freshman outside hitter Kaitlyn Woodruff, and 13 digs from freshman defensive specialist Gianna Zitello. 

In the first set, Capital jumped out to a 7-3 lead. However, the Petrels mounted a big comeback for the rest of the set, though, tying the score at 8-8. After Capital briefly went back ahead, the Petrels ran off eight straight points to take control of the set, 19-13. A Capital run brought them back to within a single point, 22-21, but the Petrels finished the set off with three straight points.

In the second, Oglethorpe found themselves behind 11-10, but they again went on a huge run. They won seven of the next eight points and built a 21-14 lead. They went on to more-or-less cruise from there for the 25-20 victory.

The Petrels just didn't have it in the third, losing 25-11, but they were able to close it out in the fourth. Capital again took the early lead, 8-4, but the Petrels again came back to tie it. Then, they won eight straight points to get match point, ahead 24-16. Capital fought off two match points, but the Petrels eventually closed out the match.

In the night cap, the Petrels found themselves in their first five-set match of the season against Lynchburg. The Hornets were able to just squeak it out, but not before a big fight from the Stormy Petrels. Lynchburg wound up prevailing 25-21, 25-27, 25-19, 19-25, 15-12. In the process, Oglethorpe got 20 kills, 14 digs and five block assists from Bondarenko, 17 kills and 18 digs from DiSalvo, 10 kills from Woodruff, 42 assists and 17 digs from Stewart, 23 digs from Makuck, and six block assists from senior middle blocker Lisa Inglis.

The Petrels had a 14-11 lead in the first set and still led late, 18-17. However, Lynchburg cashed in seven points in a row to turn the set around and get a set point, 24-17. The Petrels won three points in a row to make it 24-21, but Lynchburg closed out the set from there.

The Petrels fought back in the second set, though, coming up with a massive comback in the process. The Hornets held a 23-13 lead, then had a set point with a 24-17 advantage. The Petrels would not lose another point until they led 25-24. Lynchburg was able to tie it back up, but the Petrels won their final two points to win the set, 27-25.

Oglethorpe looked to take their amazing second-set win and gain some momentum from it going into the third, and they did hold a 9-6 lead. However, Lynchburg went back ahead, 11-9, and never trailed again in the stanza, winning 25-19. 

This meant that the Petrels needed to win the fourth set to set up the decisive fifth one. The Petrels again mounted a big comeback to do it. They fell behind, 10-4, but ran off nine of 10 points to take a 13-11 lead. After the Hornets tied it at 13-apiece, the Petrels took the lead and never relinquished it, steadily building their lead to the winning margin of 25-19.

The fifth and final set was a back and forth affair, with Lynchburg taking an early 5-2 lead before the Petrels bounced back to take a 10-8 lead of their own. Three straight Lynchburg points gave them an 11-10 lead, but the Petrels won back-to-back points to take a 12-11 advantage. Unfortunately, they would not win another point in the match. The Hornets ran off four straight points and won the fifth set, 15-12.

The 8-3 Petrels will now get set to host their home and SAA opener Wednesday, as they'll welcome defending conference champion Berry to Dorough Field House at 7 p.m.