SWANNANOA, N.C. — The Warren Wilson College women's volleyball team showed improvement throughout Saturday's doubleheader against Alice Lloyd College, but the Owls were unable to break through in a pair of straight-set losses at DeVries Athletic Center.
Alice Lloyd won the opening match 25-11, 25-13, 25-20 before completing the sweep of the day with a 25-9, 25-17, 25-18 victory. Warren Wilson finished the day at 2-11 overall, while Alice Lloyd improved to 11-7.
Match One: Alice Lloyd 3, Warren Wilson 0
Warren Wilson struggled to find its offensive rhythm in the opening match, finishing with 17 kills against 15 attack errors for a .023 hitting percentage. Alice Lloyd countered with 47 kills and hit .314 as a team.
Pandora Keele led the Owls with nine kills and added four digs, while Akeela Cunningham finished with six kills and a team-high 18 digs. Josie McCoy handed out 15 assists, and Kylee Egidi contributed six digs from the back row.
Alice Lloyd took control early in the first set, building a 15-3 advantage on the way to a 25-11 win. Warren Wilson stayed closer during the second set, briefly pulling even at 4-4 and again at 8-8 before Alice Lloyd used a late run to take the set 25-13.
The Owls produced their strongest offensive set in the third, recording eight kills and hitting .217 after posting negative hitting percentages in each of the first two sets. Warren Wilson battled to within three points late before Alice Lloyd closed out the match, 25-20.
Match Two: Alice Lloyd 3, Warren Wilson 0
The Owls increased their offensive production in the second match, totaling 26 kills after recording 17 in the opener. Warren Wilson also improved in each set offensively, going from a -.129 hitting percentage in the first set to .091 in the second and .097 in the third. 237004
Cunningham paced Warren Wilson with 10 kills and 12 digs, while Keele and Kennadie Holmes each added seven kills. Holmes hit .278 for the match, and McCoy distributed 20 assists. Egidi finished with 10 digs.
Warren Wilson opened the match with some early momentum, scoring the first three points behind kills from Cunningham and Keele and a McCoy service ace. Alice Lloyd responded with five straight points and eventually pulled away for a 25-9 first-set victory.
The Owls were much more competitive in the second set. Warren Wilson erased an early deficit and took a 12-11 lead following a Keele-Manuel block. Alice Lloyd answered with a four-point surge, and although the Owls remained within striking distance, the Eagles closed the set 25-17.
Warren Wilson continued to battle in the final set before Alice Lloyd finished the 25-18 win to complete the day's second sweep. The Owls' 10 kills in the third set were their most in any set of the match.
