The Batten University women's volleyball team (7-1) had a stellar day with a 3-1 victory over Redlands and a 3-0 sweep of No. 11 La Verne. The Marlins capped off a perfect day in California with a statement win, sweeping No. 11 nationally-ranked La Verne 3-0, winning 25-22, 25-21, and 25-22. The Marlins finished Saturday 2-0 after defeating Redlands 3-1 earlier in the day, winning 26-24, 15-25, 25-18, and 25-23.
Game One:
Anna Moody led the Marlins offensively with 18 kills on a .310 hitting percentage, seven digs, three service aces, and two block assists. Hannah Smith recorded 13 kills, 14 digs, two service aces, three block assists, and one solo block, while Ava Baker added six kills on a .364 hitting percentage and four block assists.
Niya Nash led Batten with 32 assists to go along with 12 digs, five service aces, and two kills. Brenna Raymond anchored the defense with a match-high 30 digs while adding five assists and three service aces.
The opening set was tightly contested throughout with nine ties and four lead changes. Batten built an early 12-6 advantage before Redlands battled back to tie the frame at 14-14. The Bulldogs later moved ahead 20-17, but the Marlins responded and eventually tied the set at 24-24. Batten then closed the frame with back-to-back kills from Maelyn Thams and Baker to earn the 26-24 victory.
Redlands controlled the second set from the start, opening a 10-5 advantage before extending the lead to 17-9. Batten attempted to battle back, cutting the deficit to 18-13, but the Bulldogs answered and closed the set on a 7-2 run to win 25-15 and even the match at 1-1.
The Marlins responded with their strongest offensive set of the match in the third, recording 14 kills with just four errors on 33 attacks for a .303 hitting percentage. Batten used a 6-1 run to turn a narrow 4-4 score into a 10-5 advantage before continuing to build its lead. The Marlins stretched the margin to 17-10 and later 24-14 before Redlands scored four straight points, but a service error ended the rally as Batten took the set 25-18 and a 2-1 match lead.
The fourth set went back and forth with 11 ties and five lead changes. Redlands held a 7-4 advantage early before Batten rallied to take a 12-9 lead. Neither team was able to create much separation down the stretch, with the Bulldogs eventually moving ahead 23-21. Batten responded with four unanswered points, highlighted by three consecutive kills from Moody, to complete the comeback with a 25-23 victory and secure the 3-1 match win.
Game Two:
Hannah Smith led the Marlins offense with 15 kills, a .275 hitting percentage, 12 digs, three block assists, and one service ace. Anna Moody tallied 12 kills, four digs, and two block assists, while Maelyn Thams recorded six kills and five digs. Aajah Vazquez added four kills and four block assists, as Batten totaled 10 team blocks in the match.
Niya Nash led the team with 18 assists, 14 digs, and two service aces, while Laura Miller recorded 12 assists, four digs, two kills, and one service ace. Brenna Raymond anchored the Marlins defensively with a match-high 21 digs while adding eight assists and two service aces.
The opening set featured eight ties and three lead changes as neither team was able to gain much separation early. With the score tied at 13-13, Batten went on a 7-3 run to build a 20-16 advantage. La Verne battled back to cut the Marlins' lead to 23-22, but Smith delivered a kill before Moody closed out the frame with another kill to give Batten a 25-22 win and a 1-0 lead in the match.
The teams continued to trade points throughout the early stages of the second set before Batten took control. With the Marlins leading 10-9, Raymond went to the service line and helped spark a 6-0 run that extended the advantage to 16-9. La Verne eventually cut the deficit to 23-21, but Moody answered with a kill before York finished off the set with another kill to secure the 25-21 victory and put Batten one set away from the sweep.
Batten jumped ahead 3-1 in the third set before La Verne responded to take a 6-4 lead. The Marlins quickly answered, eventually using a 6-0 run to turn a 7-6 deficit into a 12-7 advantage. La Verne fought back and cut the lead to 18-17, but Batten responded once again, scoring three of the next four points to move ahead 21-18. The Leopards made one final push to get within two at 24-22 before Smith slammed home the match-winning kill to give the Marlins a 25-22 victory and complete the sweep of the No. 11 team in the country.
