LYNCHBURG, Va. (BC Athletics) – Bridgewater women’s volleyball knocked out nationally ranked Lynchburg in the ODAC semifinals in a thrilling five-set victory Thursday night on the road.
The No. 3 seeded Eagles advances to the ODAC championship on Saturday as the host team facing No. 4 seed Washington & Lee.
Score: Bridgewater (BCE) 3, No. 25 Lynchburg (UL) 2
Records: BCE (21-7 OVR), UL (26-4)
How It Happened
• In the first set, the Eagles came out hot, ready to strike. The Crimson & Gold held firm control of the whole set. Faith DePew rocketed a kill to make it 11-6. Agnes Alford and Reagan Stoop then paired up to spot open gym floor and spiked attacks to land a 19-10 advantage. Lindsay Kelley put up sets to pound the remaining points for a 25-16 set score.
• Much more of the same firepower came from the Eagles in the second set. Strong attacking plays were executed with precision while Gabby Atwell struck one down for a service ace to make it 8-1. Stoop kept the strong arm going with another smackdown. Maya Veselinovic found a charge worth driving towards with a massive kill. Veselinovic then set up Stoop with a big attack for a 19-10 ledger. Claire Griffith helped close out the set for the Eagles to take the second set, 25-18.
• A different set of play style came from the Hornets, making plays more difficult to send down successfully for the Eagles. The Hornets stepped out to a 12-8 lead, but Atwell kept steady for the Eagles to stay close to tighter margins. BCE faced a tougher hole to climb out of with a larger lead at 16-11. Plays came wire-to-wire while the Eagles continued to dwindle the deficit. UL slipped by to take the fourth set, 25-21.
• The Eagles picked back up from where they left off from the second set, while putting pressure on the defensive specialists. DePew and Alford pieced together positive attacking sequences to push the lead to 13-9. The Hornets found a burst of momentum to tie it at 14 apiece. The Hornets soon after found the lead and pulled ahead with firm momentum. The Eagles continued to fight on. However, UL took the fourth set, 25-20.
• The fifth set brought all the grit and determination from all season long. Points went back-and-forth kills after kills. The Eagles found the edge early, but the Hornets would not go away easily. Griffith let one launch to grab a10-7 lead. Stoop got the well-placed lob by Veselinovic to put another strike down at 13-8. The Eagles landed the final blow to put No. 25 ranked Lynchburg away at 15-9.
Match Notes
• Bridgewater totaled a whopping 22 block assists in the five set win.
• Reagan Stoop and Faith DePew combined for 29 kills.
• The Eagles edged out the Hornets with eight service aces.
Up Next
The Eagles will host Washington & Lee in the ODAC championship on Saturday, Nov. 15 at 2 p.m.
— BC Athletics —
