The Batten University women's volleyball team celebrated Senior Day in impressive fashion, defeating Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) opponent Eastern Mennonite University in straight sets (25-8, 25-16, 25-8) at TowneBank Arena. The Marlins improved to 22-4 overall and 9-2 in conference play, while the Royals fell to 9-15 overall and 4-8 in the ODAC.
Before the match, Batten honored its three-member senior class of Hannah Smith, Niya Nash, and Aajah Vazquez, recognizing their contributions and dedication to the women's volleyball program. The trio helped lead the Marlins to a memorable Senior Day victory, combining for 15 kills, 17 assists, and two service aces.
The Marlins delivered an outstanding offensive performance, recording 36 kills on 65 attempts with just seven attacking errors for a remarkable .446 hitting percentage. Anna Moody led the offensive attack with 12 kills on 16 attempts without committing an error, finishing with a .750 hitting percentage. Smith followed with nine kills and a .471 hitting percentage, while Valerie Nolan contributed six kills and Vazquez added five.
Nash directed the offense with 15 assists, six digs, and two service aces, while Kathryn Liles added nine assists and two aces. Nolan contributed six digs and two service aces as Batten finished the evening with nine service aces and five total team blocks.
Set One: Batten 25, Eastern Mennonite 8
The Marlins opened the match with an aggressive offensive attack, establishing an early advantage behind kills from Nash, Smith, Moody, and Nolan. After the Royals briefly took a 3-2 lead, Batten responded with three consecutive points to regain control. The Marlins continued building their advantage, taking a 9-6 lead before putting together the defining run of the opening set.
With Nolan at the service line, Batten erupted for 12 consecutive points, turning a three-point advantage into a commanding 21-6 lead. Nolan recorded back-to-back service aces during the run, while Smith contributed three kills and Elizabeth York added two. The Marlins' defensive pressure also forced several Eastern Mennonite attacking errors as the home team completely took control.
Batten closed the opening frame by scoring four of the final six points, with Smith delivering a kill to bring up set point before Nash finished the frame with a service ace. Smith led the Marlins with five kills in the opening set as Batten hit .455 with 12 kills and just two attacking errors.
Set Two: Batten 25, Eastern Mennonite 16
Eastern Mennonite opened the second set with the first point, but Batten quickly responded with a 4-0 run highlighted by two kills from Moody and a service ace from Nash. The Marlins maintained their advantage through the early stages, building an 11-6 lead behind contributions from Moody, Nolan, and Smith.
The Royals battled back midway through the frame, using a 6-1 run to erase a 12-7 deficit and take a 13-12 advantage. The teams traded points over the next several rallies before a kill from Moody gave Batten a 16-15 lead and shifted momentum back toward the Marlins.
With Maelyn Thams at the service line, Batten took complete control, scoring eight consecutive points to extend its advantage to 24-15. Nolan and Moody delivered kills during the decisive stretch, while Thams recorded a service ace to help fuel the run. The Royals managed one additional point before a service error secured the 25-16 victory for Batten.
Moody was outstanding in the second set, recording six kills on six attempts for a perfect 1.000 hitting percentage. The Marlins added 10 kills in the frame while limiting Eastern Mennonite to just five.
Set Three: Batten 25, Eastern Mennonite 8
Batten wasted little time establishing control in the third set, opening with three consecutive points, including a kill from Vazquez. After the Royals got on the scoreboard, the Marlins responded with seven unanswered points to build a commanding 10-1 advantage. Smith recorded three kills during the early surge, while Vazquez and Moody also contributed offensively.
The Marlins continued their offensive dominance, extending their advantage to 14-2 behind consecutive kills from Vazquez. Following another Eastern Mennonite point, Batten used a 3-0 run highlighted by a Thams service ace and a Moody kill to push the score to 17-3.
Holding an 18-4 advantage, Batten added five consecutive points behind the serving of Liles. Nolan contributed back-to-back kills, Liles recorded a service ace, and Ava Baker delivered a kill to extend the lead to 23-4. Eastern Mennonite scored three consecutive points late in the frame, but the Marlins closed out the match with a 25-8 victory.
Batten saved its most efficient offensive performance for the final set, recording 14 kills with just one attacking error on 22 attempts for an impressive .591 hitting percentage. Vazquez was perfect offensively in the frame, recording four kills on four attempts, while Moody added four kills and Smith contributed three.
The victory provided a fitting celebration for Smith, Nash, and Vazquez, as the senior trio helped guide the Marlins to their 22nd victory of the season and another strong performance in ODAC competition.
