DANVILLE, Va. — Averett University volleyball's pair of wins to open the Cougar Classic Friday was highlighted by a 3-0 sweep of Old Dominion Athletic Conference preseason favorite Washington and Lee University. The Cougars also picked up a 3-0 win over Shenandoah University to finish the night and remain unbeaten.

In the opener against Washington and Lee (2-1), Averett (3-0) set the tone early by building an 11-6 advantage in the opening set. Although the Generals closed the margin, the Cougars held them at bay each time to take the first set 25-19.

Averett again started strong in the second frame, going ahead 7-3 before Washington and Lee roared back to tie it, 7-7. The Cougars took the next five points, including the final two on service aces by senior Zamyiah Mangum, to regain control before eventually pulling away to a 25-17 win late to go up 2-0 in the match.

Washington and Lee didn't go away easy, however, as the two battled in a tight third set. Averett inched ahead 13-10, but the Generals surged back to tie it, 15-15. Although Averett won the next four points, the Cougars had to survive a late run by Washington and Lee that send the game to extra points, with Averett holding off the Generals 27-25 for the sweep.
 
Senior Sarah Shropshire led Averett with 12 kills as six different Cougars registered at least six kills as Averett hit .292 as a team. Sophomore Erin Gray had a team-high 22 digs, with Mangum totaling 16 digs and junior Lauren Montren finishing with 15 digs. Sophomore Makkenzie Compton tallied a team-best 23 assists, while freshman Kinsley Stevens had 19 assists. Stevens and Mangum also had three service aces each in the non-conference win over Washington and Lee.
 
After putting away Washington and Lee, Averett finished the night with a sweep of Shenandoah (1-2). The Cougars won 25-15, 25-19 and 29-27. Averett had little trouble through the first two sets against the Hornets, but had to battle back for a thrilling finish in the final frame to secure the 3-0 win.

Junior Morgan Barnes had a team-high 10 kills, with Shropshire added nine kills, eight digs and five blocks. Mangum and Gray finished with 13 digs and 11 digs, respectively, and sophomore Emma Nash added four blocks. Stevens had a team-high 25 assists against Shenandoah.
 
Averett returns to action on Saturday on Day 2 of the Cougar Classic. The Cougars face Oglethorpe University at 1 p.m. and then take on Guilford College at 5 p.m.


 

Friday, Sept. 3, 2021
Time	Main Court	Side Court
Noon	William Peace def. Roanoke, 3-0 Box Score	Washington and Lee def. N.C. Wesleyan, 3-0 Box Score
2 p.m.	Guilford def. Piedmont, 3-1 Box Score	Oglethorpe def. Shenandoah, 3-0 Box Score
4 p.m.	Averett def. Washington and Lee, 3-0 Box Score	N.C. Wesleyan def. Roanoke, 3-1 Box Score
6 p.m.	Averett def. Shenandoah, 3-0 Box Score	William Peace def. Piedmont, 3-0 Box Score