The No. 17 nationally ranked Batten University women's volleyball team (12-3) battled through five sets Saturday afternoon, but the Marlins came up just short in a 3-2 road loss to Bridgewater. The set scores were 25-15, 20-25, 25-18, 12-25, and 15-17.
Smith paced the Batten attack with 17 kills while adding 14 digs and four block assists. York and Anna Moody each recorded seven kills, while Aajah Vazquez and Maelyn Thams added six apiece. Vazquez was also a force at the net with six block assists as Batten finished the afternoon with 12 total team blocks.
Niya Nash directed the offense with a team-high 24 assists, while Miller added 12. Defensively, Raymond and Smith each collected 14 digs, while the Marlins also finished with nine service aces.
The Marlins came out strong in the opening frame, building an early 6-1 advantage behind a pair of service aces from Brenna Raymond. Batten continued to create separation midway through the set, with Elizabeth York and Hannah Smith helping the Marlins stretch the lead before closing out the 25-15 win.
Bridgewater answered in the second set, using a 6-0 run to turn a 7-7 tie into a 13-7 advantage. Batten continued to battle and pulled within four late in the frame, but the Eagles held on for a 25-20 victory to even the match.
Batten responded in the third. With the score tied 6-6, Laura Miller sparked a six-point run that included two service aces as the Marlins surged ahead 12-6. Batten never surrendered the lead from there, with York eventually putting away the final point to secure a 25-18 set victory and give the Marlins a 2-1 advantage.
The Eagles controlled the fourth set and used an extended run to build a double-digit advantage before taking the frame 25-12, sending the match to a decisive fifth set.
Neither side was able to create much separation in the final frame. The fifth featured four ties and a lead change as the teams traded points deep into the set. Batten fought beyond the traditional 15-point finish, but Bridgewater ultimately grabbed the final two points to take the set 17-15 and the match 3-2.
