College Volleyball Final – Bridgewater 3, Guilford 2

GREENSBORO, N.C. – Freshman setter Victoria Wilson served up the final three points and scored the game-winner in Bridgewater College’s thrilling five-set volleyball victory at Guilford College Saturday. Wilson’s 11th kill of the match clinched the Eagles’ 25-12, 25-27, 20-25, 25-23, 15-13 Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) triumph and snapped a six-match losing streak.

Trailing 13-11, Bridgewater’s Rachel Kinsey notched her 19th kill to get service back to the Eagles. With Wilson on the line, Bridgewater took advantage of successive hitting and blocking errors by Guilford to set up match point. Off a scramble set up by a Quakers’ block attempt, Wilson two-handed a pass from Macon Frey into the undefended back corner of Guilford’s side for the clinching point.

Wilson finished with a triple double of 11 kills, a match-high 45 assists and 18 digs. Kinsey benefitted from most of Wilson’s sets and finished with a match-best 20 kills on .341 hitting. Danielle McKelvey (11 kills), Sarah Temple (10 kills) and Carleigh Studtmann (10 kills) also recorded 10 or more kills in the Eagles’ balanced hitting attack. Frey paced Bridgewater’s back row with 24 digs and Courtney Thornburg added 16 pickups.

The Quakers (3-9, 1-3 ODAC) looked like they might win the match in four sets. Guilford clawed back from an 11-4 fourth-set deficit to tie the score at 23-23, but a service error and block error quelled the rally and forced the fifth and deciding set.

Kelsey Ruehling’s 13 kills and 18.5 points led Guilford’s offense. Maile Munro contributed 40 assists, 14 digs and five kills. Casey Davis delivered 12 putaways and a team-best 24 digs. Heather Crawford had 10 kills on .450 hitting.

Coach Emily Gann’s Quakers host crosstown-rival Greensboro College Tuesday (9/29) night at 7:00 p.m.