'Roo Volleyball Opens Season with Pair of Wins

SHERMAN, Texas - The Austin College volleyball team got its 2024 campaign off to a strong start on Friday, as the 'Roos defended Hughey Gym with a pair of victories over St. John Fisher and Lakeland. The 'Roos topped St. John Fisher 3-1 in their first match of the day, before sweeping the Muskies 3-0 in the nightcap.

After St. John Fisher and Lakeland went to five sets with the Cardinals coming out on top in the opening match of the Austin College Classic, it was Austin College's turn to take on the visitors from New York in the day's second contest. Austin College took a 25-20 first set win and battled to a 27-25 win in set two, before teh Cardinals took a 25-20 victory to make it a 2-1 match. The 'Roos took control in the fourth set, however, winning 25-18. Victoria Larson led Austin College with 11 kills in her debut in crimson and gold, boasting a .474 hitting percentage in the victory. TJ Folse added eight kills and 15 digs, and Rachel Sadler added seven kills.

Brianne Tseng and Madison Manning each had 17 assists for Austin College, with Tseng adding nine digs and Manning coming up with four, while Layne Kovacs paced the 'Roos with 17 digs in the match. Ana Gutman led St. John Fisher with 11 kills. 

Austin College may have capped the day off with a sweep over Lakeland, but all three sets were tightly contested with the Muskies taking leads in all three before the 'Roos won by scores of 25-22, 25-21, 25-20. The 'Roos had a team hitting percentage of .318 in the win, compared to .173 for Lakeland, and Sadler came up big with 12 kills and a .385 hitting percentage. Folse once again chipped in eight kills and added eight digs, and Mattie Duncan and Samantha Graham both had seven kills in the victory. Tseng led the 'Roos with 21 assists and chipped in six digs, and Manning had 12 assists and had four kills in five attacks, while also adding seven digs. Kovacs once again paced Austin College defensively with 15 digs.

The 'Roos wrap up the Austin College Classic on Saturday, taking on Wisconsin-Superior at 10:00 a.m. before wrapping up the tournament with a 4:00 p.m. match against Shenandoah University.