DANVILLE, Va. — Averett University women's volleyball opened the 2023 season with a 3-1 win over Piedmont University in the 29th annual Cougar Classic in the Grant Center on Friday. The Cougars ended the day with a competitive 3-0 loss to Bob Jones University.
Averett (1-1) took down its former conference foe Piedmont in four sets to begin the season, winning 25-23, 20-25, 25-19 and 25-13. In the opening frame, Piedmont used a four-point swing to go up 21-20. Averett eventually rattled off three consecutive points to go ahead 24-22 before getting a clinching kill from senior
Emma Nash.
After Piedmont (0-2) inched out a win in Set 2, the Cougars pulled away late in Set 3 to retake the momentum. In the fourth set, Averett was up 13-11 but finished the set with a 12-2 run to clinch the match against the Lions.
Nash finished with a team-high 13 kills against Piedmont to go with 11 digs. Sophomore
Brenda Light added eight kills, senior
Erin Gray had 21 digs and junior Kinsley Stephens had 18 assists ad 17 digs for the Cougars in the win. Sophomore
Dayton Moore had a double-double of 12 assists and 12 digs.
Averett and Bob Jones (2-0) battled in a tight first set that the Bruins pulled out 26-24. Bob Jones led 22-15 in Set 2 and held off a late rally by the Cougars, which got Averett within 23-20 before the Bruins scored consecutive points to go up 2-0 in the match. Bob Jones then took the third set 25-16.
Nash once again led the Cougars in kills with 12 to go with seven digs. Freshman
Hope Parrish had nine kills for Averett, which got 20 digs from Gray, 16 assists and eight digs from Stevens and 15 assists and seven digs from Moore.
In other action in the Cougar Classic, Waynesburg University beat Hollins University 3-1, Bob Jones beat Hollins 3-0, Randolph College swept Waynesburg 3-0 and beat Roanoke College 3-1, and Roanoke then beat Piedmont 3-1 to end action on the side court in the final session.
Day 2 of the Cougar Classic begins at 10 a.m. on Saturday. Averett plays Wayneburg at noon and faces Hollins in 4 p.m.
