ATLANTA - Oglethorpe finished out Emory's Jenny McDowell Invitational with 3-2 wins against Mississippi University for Women and LaGrange on Saturday.
Match One vs. Mississippi University for Women
Camdyn George led with 13 kills, followed by Gracie Sims and Alise Mayers with 11 each. Abby Wheeler made 17 digs and Sims had 14. Autumn Lilly and Lauren Coursey both made two service aces.
Oglethorpe earned the first point of the game from an attack error, but then committed a service error. Ashlynn Stephens made the first kill and the Owls quickly responded, gaining four points in a row for a 6-3 lead. This edge ultimately decided the 25-13 end of the first set, and the Owls also dominated the second set at 25-15.
The Owls started the third set off with yet another streak of points, but were interrupted by a kill from George. Wheeler and Ella Hughes quickly combined kills of their own to finally bring Oglethorpe into the lead. The birds went kill-for-kill during most of the set, until the Petrels pulled forward at the 20-point mark. Oglethorpe gained a 24-20 lead, then Mayers delivered the final blow. The fourth set played out in a similar fashion.
The fifth and final set opened with another kill from George. The Owls fought hard to prevent an Oglethorpe win, but one last kill from Sims for a 15-12 set win secured the Petrels' 3-2 match win.
Match Two vs. LaGrange
Stephens led with a career high 23 kills followed by Sims with 14 and George with 12. Hughes made five blocks and George had three. Wheeler recorded a career high of 22 digs, Stephens made 18, and Lilly followed with her own career high of 17.
The Panthers started out with the upper hand, then the Petrels got their first point from a kill by George. LaGrange took advantage of Oglethorpe's two-game day and quickly stole the first set.
Not wanting a repeat of the first game, the Petrels bounced back in the second set. LaGrange put up a fight, but a string of five points thanks to Sims and Stephens, plus two attack errors by LaGrange, gave Oglethorpe the edge for a 25-22 win. This energy rallied into the third set for a 25-21 win, with both deciding points coming from George's kills.
Stephens opened the fourth set with a kill, but LaGrange pounced back. The Panthers found a 9-4 lead that kept them afloat for the rest of the set and claimed their second 25-19 win. LaGrange also earned the first point of the fifth set, but Sims' response of two kills plus three more attack errors from the other side pushed the Petrels through to a quick win. Stephens and Hughes got their last kills in for a 15-7 set win, and another 3-2 match win.
Game Notes
- This was Oglethorpe's second ever game against Mississippi University for Women, and the record is now 1-1.
- Freshman Madison Thompson made her collegiate debut.
- George tied her career high of 13 kills.
- Oglethorpe's record against LaGrange is 20-13.
- LeTournaeu University also participated in the tournament, playing Emory and St. Catherine.
Up Next
Oglethorpe will be participating in another round robin tournament on September 5-6. Hosted by William Peace, the Petrels will face Gordon and Virginia Wesleyan on day one, then the host and Averett on day two. The first home match will be Saturday, Sept. 20, at 11 a.m.
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