The Batten University women's volleyball team split its doubleheader, falling to No. 15 nationally ranked New York University (NYU) in four sets before bouncing back with a commanding 3-0 sweep of Skidmore College. The Marlins finished the day with a 19-4 overall record and remained 6-2 in Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) play.
Batten opened the afternoon with a competitive four-set battle against No. 15 NYU (16-4, 5-0 UAA), falling 26-24, 17-25, 25-23, and 25-14. The Marlins responded in their second match, defeating Skidmore (10-9, 1-3 Liberty League) in straight sets, 25-14, 25-19, and 25-19, to earn their 19th victory of the season.
Match One:
Hannah Smith led the Marlins offensively with 15 kills and 10 digs, while Anna Moody followed closely with 14 kills and six block assists. Aajah Vazquez and Valerie Nolan each contributed seven kills, while Ava Baker added four kills and six total blocks.
Niya Nash directed the offense with 25 assists, 10 digs, and two service aces, while Kathryn Liles added 10 assists. Defensively, Brenna Raymond recorded a team-high 16 digs, eight assists, and two service aces as Batten finished with 10 team blocks.
The opening set featured a back-and-forth battle, with the Marlins overcoming an early four-point deficit to take control midway through the frame. Trailing 14-10, Batten used a 10-2 stretch highlighted by kills from Moody, Smith, and Baker to build a 20-16 advantage. The Marlins maintained their lead and reached set point at 24-22 following a block from Baker and Smith. However, NYU answered with four consecutive points to narrowly claim the opening set, 26-24.
Batten responded with one of its strongest offensive performances of the afternoon in the second set. With the score tied at 5-5, the Marlins rattled off six consecutive points behind the serving of Smith, including three kills from Moody, to establish an 11-5 lead. Batten continued to apply pressure, extending its advantage to 18-11 following a service ace from Nolan. The Violets cut the deficit to three at 19-16, but the Marlins closed the set on a 6-1 run, capped by a block from Baker and Moody, to even the match at one set apiece with a 25-17 victory.
The third set saw Batten face an early 11-2 deficit before mounting a determined comeback. Trailing 19-12, the Marlins put together five consecutive points, fueled by a Nash service ace and kills from Moody, Smith, and Baker, to pull within two at 19-17. NYU pushed its lead back to six at 23-17, but Batten refused to go away, scoring six of the next seven points to close the gap to 24-23. The Violets secured the final point to escape with a 25-23 victory and take a 2-1 advantage in the match.
The fourth set saw NYU establish an early advantage, using a 5-1 run to take a 10-5 lead. Batten continued to battle behind kills from Smith, Moody, and Nolan, but the Violets extended their lead to 19-13. A kill from Moody brought the Marlins within five at 19-14 before NYU closed the match with six consecutive points to secure the 25-14 victory.
Match Two:
The Marlins wasted little time responding in their second match of the day, producing an impressive offensive performance to sweep Skidmore College in straight sets.
Batten recorded 46 kills while hitting .282 as a team, including an impressive .379 hitting percentage in the second set. The Marlins also registered nine service aces and held the Thoroughbreds to a .133 hitting percentage.
Moody and Vazquez led the offensive attack with 11 kills apiece. Vazquez was particularly efficient, hitting an outstanding .600 with just two errors on 15 attempts, while Moody finished with a .300 hitting percentage.
Smith added nine kills on a .333 hitting percentage and seven digs, while Elizabeth York contributed six kills on 11 attempts for a .455 hitting percentage.
Nash once again directed the offense, recording 20 assists, nine digs, and three kills, while Liles added 12 assists. Raymond anchored the defensive effort with a team-high 14 digs, five assists, and two service aces. Nolan also made an impact from the service line, recording three aces, while Maelyn Thams added two.
Batten established control early in the opening set, using a balanced offensive attack to build a 9-5 advantage. The Marlins continued to extend their lead behind kills from Vazquez, Smith, and York, pushing the score to 15-8. Batten maintained its momentum throughout the frame, using a 6-3 stretch to extend its advantage to 21-12. The Marlins finished the set with 16 kills and a .324 hitting percentage to claim a convincing 25-14 victory.
The second set featured a more competitive opening stretch, with the teams exchanging points before Batten created separation. Leading 9-8, the Marlins used a four-point run behind the serving of Nolan, including two service aces and kills from York and Vazquez, to build a 13-8 advantage. Batten continued to apply offensive pressure, extending its lead to 17-11 following consecutive kills from Moody. Skidmore battled back to cut the deficit to three at 19-16, but the Marlins responded with timely kills from Moody and Vazquez. Leading 23-19, Batten closed the set with a service ace from Nolan and a Skidmore attack error to secure the 25-19 victory.
The third set saw the Thoroughbreds jump ahead 9-5 before the Marlins mounted a comeback. Batten answered with four consecutive points, highlighted by kills from Vazquez and Moody and a service ace from Thams, to even the score at 9-9. After Skidmore regained a 13-11 advantage, the Marlins responded with three straight points, including a kill from Smith, to take a 14-13 lead.
With the score tied at 14-14, Batten used a three-point run behind a Vazquez kill, a Raymond service ace, and a Smith kill to establish a 17-14 advantage. The Marlins continued to build momentum, extending their lead to 22-16 following a kill from Moody. Batten maintained control down the stretch before York delivered the match-clinching kill to secure the 25-19 victory and complete the straight-set sweep.
