College Volleyball Finals – Guilford Splits ODAC Matches at Eastern Mennonite

HARRISONBURG, Va. – Guilford College’s volleyball team split a pair of Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) matches Saturday at Eastern Mennonite University. The Quakers (15-8, 6-4 ODAC) opened with a 25-11, 25-20, 25-17 victory over the host Royals (8-17, 2-7 ODAC) that extended their winning streak to a season-high seven games. The streak ended later in the day when Bridgewater College claimed a 25-22, 25-17, 25-21 victory.

Christian Ritter (Asheboro, N.C./Eastern Randolph) put away 14 kills and Morgan Tompkins added 11 in the Quakers’ convincing win over Eastern Mennonite. Guilford hit .279 as a team, compared to the Royals’ .028 team hitting percentage. Junior setter Tina Eucker compiled 34 assists, five kills, and 10 digs. Ritter, who hit .300 in the match, picked up a match-best 18 digs. Tompkins hit .455 and teammate Jasmine Gaines (Asheboro, N.C./Asheboro) added eight kills on .462 hitting.

Beck Hoskins seven kills and four blocks led Eastern Mennonite. Tarynn Clark had 12 digs and a service ace.

Rachel Gaston had a match-best nine kills and 17 digs as Bridgewater (20-5, 8-2 ODAC) stopped Guilford’s longest winning streak since 1993. The Eagles used quick starts to open sizable leads in the first two sets. The Quakers had a 7-2 edge in the third before Bridgewater used an 8-2 burst to take a 13-10 advantage it never relinquished.

Allison Clark hit .538 with eight kills and a block for Bridgewater, which won for the sixth time in seven matches. Setter Victoria Wilson added six putaways on .545 hitting to her team-high 29 assists. Taylor McNeely picked up 11 digs and serve up five of the Eagles’ 10 aces in the contest.

Tompkins eight kills led the Quakers’ hitters. Gaines, Ritter, and Khaira Bolden added seven putaways apiece. Guilford rookie Cydney Scott shared match-high honors with 17 digs and Ritter added 15. Eucker had a match-high 32 assists, plus 11 digs.

Coach Emily Gann’s Quakers return home to host Lynchburg College Wednesday (10/24) at 6:30 p.m. in a league game.