Lexington, VA - The Southern Virginia University women's volleyball team took a short trip to Lexington, Virginia for three matches at the W&L Invitational. The Knights dominated St. Mary's College of Maryland in their first match, sweeping the Seahawks before falling to Averett and Washington and Lee in their final two matches.

Against St. Mary's, Southern Virginia jumped out to a 4-1 lead in the first set and would never relinquish the lead. Brenna Clyde was a force, registering six kills and three block assists in the first frame. Clyde continued her stellar play into the second set while receiving plenty of help from Sydney Bassett who coupled her usual lethal attack with excellent defensive play. Along with Gracie Fulton, Bassett led the team with 13 digs in the match. Late in the second set, St. Mary's managed to claw their way back, converting on three consecutive attacks to grab a 19-17 lead. However, the Knights would go on a run of their own, scoring four of the final five points to claim a 2-0 set advantage. 

The third set was highlighted by yet another comeback from the Knights, this time from a deficit of 10-5. Ruby Blamires, Brookelyn Madland and Katelyn Wankier were key figures in their march back to the lead by helping the Knights secure six straight points. Wankier recorded several key block assists down the stretch, totaling four by the end of the match. Sydney Bassett had the final say of the evening when she pummeled a set from Ruby Blamires for her fourteenth kill of the match, vaulting the Knights to a third set victory and their first win of the young season. Brenna Clyde led the team with a .435 hitting percentage and tied with Sydney Bassett for the most kills in the match with 14. Freshman Summer Hahn had a quiet yet dominant presence, recording five block assists to lead both teams.

On the second day of the tournament, the Knights produced a competitive match with Averett University, splitting the first two sets before Averett took control to claim a 3-1 victory. Finally, they faced a talented Washington and Lee squad in their final match of the tournament and lost in three sets.

At the end of the tournament, Sydney Bassett was named to the All-Tournament team thanks to her stellar all-around performance. Gracie Fulton led the team in digs each match and is cementing herself as a huge asset in the Knights' lineup. Next on the schedule, Southern Virginia will visit Randolph College on Wednesday, September 11th in Lynchburg, Virginia. Start time is scheduled for 6:00 PM.

For the most up-to-date information and details on the team, visit knightathletics.com and follow @knightwvolleyball on Instagram.