DANVILLE, Va. — Averett University men's volleyball made history by opening the season with the program's first ever victory on Friday. The Cougars swept Warren Wilson 3-0 to open a tri-match before falling 3-0 in a tight matchup with Regent University to finish the night.

Averett (1-1, 0-0 ODAC) first took on Warren Wilson (0-2, 0-0 C2C) and beat the Owls in straight sets, 25-9, 25-14 and 25-19 to record their first win in program history. Sophomore Finn Oakley led the Cougars' offense with 13 kills, while freshman Yerai Collazo and junior Kendrick Sasu-Twumasi tied with seven. Sophomore Shaun Freeman racked up 22 assists, while junior Anibal Lopez recorded a team-best 11 digs. 

Regent (2-0), which swept Warren Wilson in the middle match, beat Averett in three sets, 25-19, 26-24 and 25-17. Oakley recorded 10 kills for the Cougars, while Sasu-Twumasi had six kills and four blocks. Lopez once again led the Cougars in digs with 19. Oakley and Freeman tied with 10 digs a piece, while Freeman added 18 more assists in the second match of the day. 

The Cougars are back in action when they travel to Buena Vista, Virginia, for a tri-match to face No. 1 Southern Virginia University at 3 p.m. and Roanoke College at 5 p.m.

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