SWEET BRIAR, Va. – The Gallaudet University women's volleyball team continued its perfect start to the 2026 season Saturday with a pair of straight-set victories over Saint Elizabeth University and host Sweet Briar College at Williams Gymnasium.
Gallaudet (6-0) swept Saint Elizabeth, 25-20, 25-14, 25-14, before overwhelming Sweet Briar, 25-7, 25-17, 25-8, to close out the tri-match.
The 6-0 start marks the best start to a season during Head Coach
Lynn Ray Boren's tenure at Gallaudet, which began in 2005. The previous best starts under Boren came in 2011 and 2015 when the Bison began both seasons with 5-0 records.
The Bison used a strong service game throughout Saturday's two matches as they combined for 35 service aces in six sets, including 19 against Sweet Briar. First-year libero
Tori Harris (Stockbridge, Ga.) led the charge with 13 aces on the day, six against Saint Elizabeth and seven against Sweet Briar.
Gallaudet 3, Sweet Briar 0
Gallaudet turned in its most dominant performance of the young season against the host Vixens (0-6). The Bison hit .413 as a team with 33 kills and only seven errors on 63 attempts while holding Sweet Briar to a negative -.100 hitting percentage and 10 kills. GU hit .435 in the opening set and closed the match at .583 in the third.
Senior outside hitter
Brielle Worley (Amarillo, Texas) led the Bison with 13 kills on 22 attempts with only two errors for a .500 hitting percentage. Graduate student
Bri Eilderts (Omaha, Neb.) was perfect on the attack with seven kills on seven attempts and added five service aces and two block assists. Senior outside hitter
Jada Zarembka (Riverside, Calif.) added six kills, seven digs and two aces.
First-year setter
Gracie Gloster (Clark, N.J.) passed out 23 assists, while Harris served seven aces and made five digs. Sophomore middle hitter
Kayla Debrow (Jacksonville, Fla.) had three kills on five attempts (.600) and three block assists.
Sweet Briar was led by first-year opposite/outside hitter Kylee Cox with four kills and three digs, while sophomore libero Jaelyn Wood made a team-high six digs.
Gallaudet 3, Saint Elizabeth 0
Earlier in the day, Gallaudet dispatched Saint Elizabeth (1-3) in three sets behind another balanced effort. The Bison hit .254 for the match and held the Eagles to a negative -.111 hitting percentage. GU doubled Saint Elizabeth in kills, 26-13, and held a 16-7 advantage in service aces.
Worley put down a match-high 12 kills on only 17 attempts with one error for a .647 hitting percentage and added seven digs and three aces. Debrow contributed four kills on six attempts (.500) and three block assists, while Eilderts added two kills and five block assists.
Gloster passed out 22 assists while Harris finished with seven digs and a match-high six service aces. First-year opposite
Aliyah Medearis (Colorado Springs, Colo.) made her presence felt at the net with a match-high seven block assists.
Sophomore middle blocker Marissa Jean Baptiste led Saint Elizabeth with five kills and six digs, while sophomore setter Victoria Compton tallied 10 assists.
The Eagles defeated the Vixens in straight sets to begin the day with a 25-23, 25-20, 26-24 win.
BISON TRACKS
- Gallaudet has won five of its first six matches in straight sets.
- The Bison have won 12 consecutive sets since their five-set victory over Geneva on Sept. 5.
- This was the first time Gallaudet played Sweet Briar since 2010.
- GU is 3-0 all-time against the Vixens dating back to 2009.
- This was the first time GU played Saint Elizabeth since 2018.
- GU is 11-0 all-time against the Eagles dating back to 2010.
- The Bison have never dropped a set to either Sweet Briar or Saint Elizabeth.
- Between the two schools, Gallaudet has outscored them 42-0.
UP NEXT
Gallaudet will head north to Towson, Md., to take on Goucher College (3-3) this Thursday, Sept. 17, at 7 p.m. for a non-conference match.
