CHARLESTON, W.Va. - Davis & Elkins began the match determined and maintained a high level of play throughout in a 3-0 sweep of Charleston (W.Va.) on Friday night in Mountain East Conference (MEC) action.
Davis & Elkins, which remains unbeaten at 2-0 on the season, earned the sweep in set scores of 25-9, 25-23 and 25-19.
Macie Magallon paced the Senators with 17 kills, nine digs, two block assists and two aces, hitting .342 on the evening.
Molly Jandris added seven kills and five digs, while
Maria Isabel Butruce Candiota fired home five kills and three aces.
Brilane Manchego passed out 26 assists, adding one ace and eight digs.
"I'm really proud of our team's effort tonight," head coach
Jordan Willis said. "We got out fast in the first set and kept the foot down on the gas pedal!"
Charleston (0-2) was plagued by 23 attack errors on the night. Beyonce Andrews recorded a team-high seven kills and Rachel Phalen added six kills, one ace, two block assists and five digs. The Senators held the edge in nearly every statistical category, including points (43.5-33), kills (32-26), aces (9-4), assists (27-23) and digs (41-23).
"They had some tough servers they gave us a bit of trouble, but our composure and effort pushed through," Willis said. "It was a good win overall and I know they will be looking to get back at us when we host them."
Set One: Davis & Elkins 25, Charleston 9
D&E stormed out of the gate to a 7-0 lead to begin the match, prompting an early UC timeout. Magallon had three kills in the early run and Manchego added an ace of her own. The Senators continued applying pressure out of the stoppage, surging ahead 13-1 before maintaining control on the way to a 25-9 set win.
Cynthia Arango capped the frame with an ace and D&E benefited from eight UC attack errors in the opening set win.
Set Two: Davis & Elkins 25, Charleston 23
Charleston started the second set with a lead before D&E slowly worked its way back in front, 5-4, in a highly contested frame.
Mariah Autobee pinpointed a service ace to lift D&E in front as the teams went back and forth to keep the score close. A Magallon kill capped an intense rally for a 10-8 D&E lead before the sides traded points once again.
A service error and kill from Manchego gave the Senators some breathing room at 17-15 to force a UC timeout. The Senators maintained a slim margin, with another service ace from Arango during the stretch, before a Magallon kills made it 22-20. The Golden Eagles answered back with an ace to tie the set at 23 before two attack errors handed the Senators set point and the final marker for the 25-23 win.
"In the second set, Charleston made some adjustments and got out on us," Willis said. "But we settled down and battled back with a lot of grit and discipline."
Set Three: Davis & Elkins 25, Charleston 19
Charleston opened a 7-2 advantage in the third set before the Senators answered with the next three points, including two consecutive service aces from Candiota, to trim the deficit to 7-5. The Golden Eagles distanced themselves with an 11-7 edge until D&E responded with a 3-0 run to make it 11-10.
A UC attack error knotted the set at 12 and D&E ultimately worked its way in front at 14-13. The Senators strung together a few consecutive points, including a big block assist from Magallon and
Mya Mintschenko, to move ahead 18-15. A Phalen kill and D&E error brought the Golden Eagles to within 19-18, but another D&E spurt pushed the Senators to a 22-18 lead. Three straight kills from D&E capped the set and handed the Senators the 3-0 sweep.
Up Next
Davis & Elkins is set for its home debut on Tuesday, February 9 against West Virginia State. First serve is set for 7:00 PM inside the McDonnell Center.
