RALEIGH, N.C. - The Oglethorpe Stormy Petrels split the weekend after picking up two wins on the final day of the Raleigh Invitational, beating the William Peace Pacers 3-2 and the Averett Cougars 3-1.

Match One vs. William Peace

Gracie Sims, Madison Williams and Camdyn George led with 10 kills each. Williams also made a career high six blocks and Sims had a career high 22 digs. Abby Wheeler made a career high four service aces and Autumn Lilly had 32 assists.

The Pacers opened with two aces but Oglethorpe quickly got on the board. The first set was neck-and-neck until the very end, when William Peace managed to pull away from the 22-22 tie to a 25-22 win. The Petrels responded by dominating the second set with a 25-12 win thanks to multiple kills from Ashlynn Stephens, Ella Hughes and Williams, plus the final kill coming from freshman Alise Mayers. 

The third set went by just as quickly, only in William Peace's favor. The fourth set was similar to the first, showing how evenly matched the two teams were, but it was ultimately a 25-23 Oglethorpe win. 

The deciding set began with kills from Mayers and George, then tough responses from the Pacers. Although William Peace seemed to be closing in on the win, a string of errors plus kills by Williams and Mayers gave Oglethorpe a 15-10 win for the game. This 3-2 win against their host was Oglethorpe's first win of the Raleigh Invitational.

Match Two vs. Averett

George led with 13 kills followed by Sims and Mayers with 11 each. Laney Higgins made four service aces as Hughes made four blocks. Lilly made 25 assists and Wheeler made a career high of 30 digs.

The Cougars took the Petrels by surprise in the beginning, racking up five points with no response from Oglethorpe. Williams finally leveled the playing field after a kill with an assist from Lilly. This kicked off Oglethorpe's own eight-point run, ultimately setting up the 25-17 win. Averett claimed the first point of the second set as well, but Williams was quicker to get another kill this time around. The Cougars did put up a fight, but Oglethorpe dominated once again for a 25-18 end. 

The third set began the same way as the previous two, but Averett managed to stay at Oglethorpe's heels this time. This time it was the Cougars who ran away with the end of the set, forcing the game into a fourth. Averett kept the energy up in this final set, gaining a four-point lead before their errors put Oglethorpe back in the running. Around the midway point, a kill from George plus two aces by Mayers and two errors from Averett gave the Petrels the wind they needed beneath their wings. The Cougars battled to get back on top or even for a tie, but George delivered the final kill for a 25-20 win and the game.

Match Notes

• Wheeler also set a career high of eight assists plus Lilly and Sims set theirs at three, all during the Averett game.
• This was Oglethorpe's first ever match against William Peace.
• Mayers made her first collegiate blocks.
• Lauryn Frazier set career highs in assists, points, aces and digs, all against Averett. 
• Morgan Phillips made her first kill of the season.

Up Next

Oglethorpe will stay on the road, facing Huntingdon on Wednesday, Sept. 10. The first home match will be Saturday, Sept. 20, at 11 a.m. against Millsaps for the Southern Athletic Association opener.