Mary Baldwin volleyball traveled to Lynchburg on Friday for the first two matches of its tournament weekend. The Fighting Squirrels opened the day against host Lynchburg, falling in three sets, 25-14, 25-18, 25-9.
In the first set, the Hornets found their footing early, building an 18-7 lead. Mary Baldwin gained some momentum late in the set after several Lynchburg errors, but the Hornets held on for the win.
In the second set, the Fighting Squirrels continued to capitalize on Hornet errors, as Lynchburg committed eight errors to Mary Baldwin's five. Trailing 15-7, Mary Baldwin fought back to cut the deficit to four, but the early lead proved too much to overcome.
Senior Sabrina Birts led the Fighting Squirrels with four kills, while senior Alexa Ammerman led all players with 12 digs.
Mary Baldwin then faced the Piedmont Lions in the second match of the afternoon.
The Fighting Squirrels came out strong, taking a 14-10 lead and forcing Piedmont to call an early timeout. Senior Delaney Bolbach delivered three consecutive aces, helping Mary Baldwin score four straight points. The Fighting Squirrels went on to win their first set of the season, 25-15.
The second set was a tight contest. With the score tied at 24, the Lions took a one-point lead following a Mary Baldwin attack error. The Fighting Squirrels responded, however, and took the extended set, 28-26.
Piedmont responded by winning the next three sets, 25-11, 25-13 and 15-11, to take the match.
Mary Baldwin will return to Lynchburg for its final match of the weekend, taking on the Eastern Mennonite Royals at 6 p.m.
