The Mary Baldwin volleyball team lost a pair of conference matches Saturday, losing tough contests to Methodist and N.C. Wesleyan.

MBU tipped off the action Saturday morning against Methodist with the Monarchs winning in three straight 25-22, 30-28, 25-15.

With the score tied at 14-14 in the first set, Mary Baldwin ran off five straight points to lead 19-14. Kills by Alexis Edmonds and Sydney Clarke sparked the run. A kill by Clarke kept the lead at five, 20-15, but Methodist scored the next six points to move ahead 21-20. A kill by Hannah Myers evened the score at 21-21, but the Monarchs scored four of the next five points to close out the set.

MBU had its chances in the second set as the Squirrels served to close out the set three different times, but could not put away the key point that would have tied the match. 

Clarke led the Squirrels with 11 kills and 14 digs. Rachel Christian was close behind with nine kills and 12 digs. Kate Rudolph tallied 34 assists and Soleil Rios Rolon pitched in with 13 digs

MBU closed the action Saturday when it hosted N.C. Wesleyan in the final contest of Saturday's quad match. The Battling Bishops prevailed in a toght match 26-24, 28-26, 25-19.

The Squirrels jumped out to a 12-6 lead in the opening set and stayed out front until the visitors pulled even at 20-20. The Bishops led 24-21 before MBU rallied to even the score. Rolon served an ace and Edonds pounded a kill to pull the home team even before the Bishops scored two straight to close out the first set.

MBU led most of the way in the second set, racing out to a 12-8 lead and holding the advantage at 22-19 on a kill by Clark. Mary Baldwin fought off two set points to tie the score at 24-24 and then took the lead on an ace by Clarke. The Bishops regained the lead at 26-25, but the Squirrels stayed alive when a kill by Christian knotted the scrore at 26-26. Wesleyan closed out the set, taking advantage of two MBU errors to win 28-26.

Christian led the Squirrels with 12 kills. Rudolph finished with a team-high 27 asssits and tied for the team lead in digs with Rolon as each player finished with 10.