The Batten University women's volleyball team advanced to the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) Tournament semifinals, defeating Shenandoah University, 3-1 (25-15, 19-25, 25-12, 25-23), inside TowneBank Arena at the Jane P. Batten Student Center. The Marlins improved to 25-4 overall, overcoming a second-set setback before responding with a dominant third set and a late comeback in the fourth to secure their spot in the next round.
Senior Hannah Smith led the Marlins offensively with a match-high 19 kills, adding 11 digs and one service ace for a double-double. Anna Moody followed with 15 kills on a .250 hitting percentage, while Valerie Nolan contributed seven kills, 10 digs, and a match-high three service aces. Senior Niya Nash directed the offense with 26 assists, seven digs, and one service ace, while Kathryn Liles added 11 assists. Defensively, Brenna Raymond anchored the back row with a match-high 20 digs, nine assists, and two service aces. Batten finished the contest with 51 kills, 47 assists, 64 digs, and seven service aces.
How It Happened
The Marlins opened the first set with an aggressive offensive attack, establishing an early 6-3 advantage behind kills from Smith and Moody. Batten continued to build momentum, using a 7-1 run to extend its lead from 11-8 to 18-9, highlighted by multiple kills from Smith and a service ace from Raymond. The Marlins maintained control throughout the remainder of the frame, pushing their advantage to 23-11 before closing out the opening set, 25-15. Smith was nearly unstoppable in the first set, recording eight kills on nine attempts without an error for an impressive .889 hitting percentage, while Batten collectively hit .344.
Shenandoah responded in the second set, taking an early 8-5 advantage before Batten battled back to tie the score at 11-11 following a service ace from Nolan. The Hornets regained control with a 6-1 run to take a 17-12 lead and continued to capitalize on Batten's offensive struggles. Despite late kills from Nolan and Smith, Shenandoah held on for a 25-19 victory to even the match at one set apiece. The Marlins recorded 12 kills in the frame but were limited by 12 attacking errors.
Batten quickly regained its rhythm in the third set, turning an early 2-2 tie into a 9-5 advantage behind strong offensive contributions from Moody and solid defensive play at the net. The Marlins then delivered a decisive five-point run, highlighted by kills from Nolan, Elizabeth York, and Ava Baker, along with back-to-back service aces from Nolan, to extend their lead to 14-6. Batten continued to pull away, stretching its advantage to 23-11 before York delivered the final kill to secure a commanding 25-12 victory. Moody led the third-set offense with six kills, while the Marlins hit .294 and held Shenandoah to just six kills.
The fourth set proved to be the most competitive of the evening, as Batten looked to close out the match and secure its place in the semifinals. The Marlins established an early 10-7 advantage before extending their lead to 15-13 behind kills from Smith, Moody, and Liles. Shenandoah refused to go away, however, putting together a 6-0 run to turn a 17-15 deficit into a 21-17 lead, forcing a Batten timeout. Facing the possibility of a decisive fifth set, the Marlins responded with four consecutive points, highlighted by a kill from Nash and a kill from senior Aajah Vazquez, to pull within one at 22-21. Consecutive Shenandoah attacking errors evened the score at 22-22 before the Hornets briefly regained the lead. Smith delivered a crucial kill to tie the frame at 23-23 before stepping behind the service line and recording an ace to give Batten match point. A final Shenandoah attacking error sealed the 25-23 victory, completing the Marlins' comeback and sending Batten into the ODAC Tournament semifinals.
