Salem, VA. — North Carolina Wesleyan turned in several strong individual performances Friday afternoon against host Roanoke College in its opening match of the Roanoke Classic at the Cregger Center.
After dropping the opening set 25-22, the Battling Bishops responded with one of their strongest sets of the match, taking the second frame 25-16. Wesleyan hit .276 in the set while holding Roanoke to a negative attack percentage. The Bishops continued to battle throughout the match and pushed the fourth set beyond regulation before narrowly falling 26-24. Roanoke ultimately took the match 3-1.
North Carolina Wesleyan featured a balanced offensive attack with three players reaching double figures in kills. Ashley Hinton and Savannah Banks finished with 12 kills apiece, while Brooklynn Covic added 11 kills and hit an impressive .381. Sadie Schramm was also highly efficient, finishing with seven kills on just 14 attempts for a team-best .429 hitting percentage. Hinton added three service aces, while the Bishops recorded seven aces as a team.
Emilee Wilson continued to anchor the Wesleyan offense with 37 assists while also contributing 13 digs. Jadyn Smith led the defensive effort with 17 digs, helping the Bishops finish with 59 total digs.
Wesleyan also out-hit Roanoke for the match, finishing with a .159 hitting percentage compared to the Maroons' .148.
