WASHINGTON – The Gallaudet University women's volleyball team lost on Tuesday night against regional power University of Mary Washington. The Bison (6-3) won the first set 25-20, but were unable to keep the Eagles (11-3) at bay, losing the next three sets 19-25, 15-25, 17-25.

Senior Danielle Morris (St. Louis, Mich.) led the Bison with 13 kills, six digs, and three service aces. Senior Molly Perkins (Apple Valley, Minn.) added to the Bison kills with 11, senior Kate Fetzer (Noblesville, Ind.) had 13 digs while three Bison players, sophomore Darriyan Thomas (Vallejo, Calif.), freshman Raelyn Fuechtmann (South St. Paul, Minn.) and senior TraciAnn Hoglind (Fishers, Ind.) each added eight digs.

GU played a strong first set with 12 kills and held the Eagles to only eight kills. The Bison added two service aces and 21 digs to their stats but the most thrilling point came on the last play of the set. Mary Washington's Rachel Hendricks had a strong attack attempt fly into the arms of junior Giuletta Maucere (Fishers, Ind.) for a solo block to end the match, 25-20, as the ball ricocheted back to the Eagles' side of the court and straight to the ground.

Unfortunately, the Eagles came back with a vengeance, taking the lead early and getting more kills, digs and assists than the Bison in the next three sets. Mary Washington had three players with double digits in kills and tallied eight blocks. Junior setter Emma Olsen had a triple-double with 24 assists, 12 kills and 12 digs. The Eagles, winners of four straight, received votes in the latest American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Division III poll and two of their losses this year are against nationally ranked teams including No. 1 Juniata College.

BISON TRACKS

• Hoglind (Fishers, Ind.) had all but two assists (37)
• Thomas was third on the team with seven kills and also had three service aces.
• Sophomore Kylene Etkie (Austin, Texas) added seven digs
• The Bison had nine service aces to the Eagles' six in the match
• GU made a season-high 26 attack errors and 13 service errors in the loss
• The Bison tallied 44 kills in the four sets while the Eagles had 43.

UP NEXT
The Bison, five-time defending North Eastern Athletic Conference (NEAC) champions, begin their quest for a sixth when they travel to Bryn Athyn College on Friday, Sept. 25, for three NEAC matches during two days of conference pool play.