The Batten University women's volleyball team completed a perfect Saturday afternoon at the Haverford Tri-Match, earning a thrilling five-set victory over host Haverford College before sweeping William Smith College in three sets. The Marlins improved to 24-4 overall with the pair of victories, showcasing their resilience in the opening match before delivering a dominant performance to close out the day.
The pair of victories capped an impressive day for the Marlins, who demonstrated their ability to battle through adversity against Haverford before delivering an efficient and balanced performance against William Smith. Batten combined for 109 kills across the two matches, with Smith leading the way with 36 kills and Moody adding 30. Raymond anchored the defensive effort with 45 digs on the afternoon, while Nash totaled 59 assists
Match One: Batten 3, Haverford 2 (25-20, 26-24, 23-25, 21-25, 15-13)
The Marlins opened the day with a hard-fought five-set victory over Haverford, overcoming a comeback by the host Fords to secure a 15-13 victory in the decisive fifth set.
Batten was led offensively by Hannah Smith, who recorded a match-high for the Marlins with 23 kills, five service aces, and 14 digs. Anna Moody added 19 kills while hitting .267, and Aajah Vazquez contributed 11 kills on a .281 hitting percentage. Niya Nash directed the Marlins' offense with 41 assists and 17 digs, while Brenna Raymond anchored the defense with 24 digs and two service aces.
The opening set featured a competitive battle as neither team established a significant advantage early. With the score tied at 17-17, the Marlins used a kill from Vazquez and a service ace from Smith to take a 19-17 advantage. Batten maintained its momentum down the stretch, using consecutive kills from Smith to extend its lead to 24-20 before a solo block from Smith secured the 25-20 opening-set victory.
Batten carried that momentum into the second set, jumping out to an early 5-2 advantage behind strong offensive contributions from Smith and Moody. The Marlins extended their lead to 16-10 before Haverford began to battle back. The Fords eventually erased a 23-20 deficit to even the score at 23-23, forcing a Batten timeout. Smith responded with a kill to give the Marlins set point, but Haverford answered to tie the score at 24-24. Moody delivered a crucial kill to regain the advantage before Nash finished the set with a kill, giving Batten a 26-24 victory and a commanding 2-0 match lead.
Haverford refused to go away, responding with a 25-23 victory in the third set. The Fords established an early advantage and held off the Marlins' efforts to regain control, cutting Batten's match lead to 2-1.
The fourth set saw both teams continue to battle for momentum, but Haverford capitalized on Batten's offensive struggles to claim a 25-21 victory. The Fords limited the Marlins to a negative hitting percentage in the frame, forcing a decisive fifth set.
With the match on the line, Batten came out firing in the fifth set, opening with four consecutive points behind kills from Smith, Moody, and Valerie Nolan, along with a service ace from Smith. The Marlins extended their lead to 9-4 following back-to-back kills from Vazquez, appearing to take control of the deciding frame.
However, Haverford mounted one final comeback, using an 8-1 run to turn a 10-4 deficit into a 12-10 advantage. The Marlins responded with a block from Nash and Ava Baker, followed by a Haverford attack error to even the score at 12-12. After the Fords regained a 13-12 lead, Smith delivered a clutch kill to tie the score once again. Moody followed with a kill to give Batten match point, and Smith sealed the victory with her fifth service ace of the contest, completing the dramatic 15-13 fifth-set win.
The Marlins finished the match with 67 kills, 89 digs, and nine service aces. Kathryn Liles contributed 12 assists and 12 digs, while Baker added five total blocks to help Batten secure the victory.
Match Two: Batten 3, William Smith 0 (25-18, 25-16, 25-18)
Following the emotional five-set victory over Haverford, the Marlins returned to the court and delivered a commanding performance against William Smith, sweeping the Herons in straight sets to complete their undefeated afternoon.
Smith once again led the Batten offense, recording 13 kills on a .343 hitting percentage while adding 10 digs and a service ace. Moody followed with 11 kills and five block assists, while Nolan contributed five kills without an attacking error. Raymond led the defensive effort with 21 digs, and Nash and Liles combined for 30 assists.
The opening set saw Batten establish an early advantage, jumping ahead 9-5 behind a balanced offensive attack. William Smith remained within striking distance throughout the middle stages, but the Marlins maintained control and extended their advantage to 18-13. A kill from Smith and a service ace from Raymond pushed the lead to 20-15, forcing a William Smith timeout. Batten continued to execute down the stretch, closing out the opening frame 25-18 while hitting an impressive .357 with 16 kills and just one attacking error.
The Marlins took complete control in the second set, using several scoring runs to overwhelm the Herons. After the teams battled to a 4-4 tie, Batten scored four consecutive points, highlighted by three kills from Moody and a service ace from Maelyn Thams, to take an 8-4 advantage.
Leading 9-6, Batten produced a dominant seven-point run behind the serving of Liles, extending its lead to 16-6. The Marlins continued to apply pressure offensively and defensively, eventually building a 22-11 advantage following a service ace from Nash. William Smith managed a late push, but a kill from Vazquez gave Batten set point before a service error by the Herons secured the 25-16 victory and a 2-0 match lead.
The third set featured a more competitive start as William Smith kept pace with the Marlins, tying the score at 13-13 midway through the frame. Batten responded with a 6-1 run, highlighted by kills from Vazquez and Smith and strong blocking from Moody and Vazquez, to take a 19-14 advantage.
The Marlins continued to build on their lead, extending the margin to 24-16 behind another kill from Moody. After William Smith scored two consecutive points, Nolan delivered the match-clinching kill off an assist from Nash, securing the 25-18 victory and completing the three-set sweep.
Batten finished the match with a .261 hitting percentage, recording 42 kills against just 11 attacking errors. The Marlins also collected 14 block assists while holding William Smith to a .093 hitting percentage.
to 24-4 overall with the pair of victories, showcasing their resilience in the opening match before delivering a dominant performance to close out the day.
