The Shadow
ROCKY MOUNT, Nc. (VR) – After dropping a pair of tightly contested matches on day one of the North Carolina Wesleyan Invitational, Hollins was back in action on Saturday morning in the fifth-place matchup with Mary Baldwin. Hollins arrived to the gym just hours after their match on Friday night and quickly took a 1-0 lead on the Squirrels. In the second set, Hollins found themselves down 16-11. However, after a well times timeout, Hollins rallied to win the second set with a 14-7 surge. The third set would once again see the young Hollins team behind, 11-6. The Green and Gold would embark on an 11-3 run to take control and close out the 3-0 win over Mary Baldwin for the team’s first win of the season.
Highlights
- Hollins defeated Mary Baldwin 25-20, 25-23, 25-17.
- Both teams enjoyed early match runs with Mary Baldwin leading 12-9. Hollins used a 7-1 rally to get back in front, but the score would be tied at 16-16. HU took over from there, winning four straight and nine of the final 13 points to take a 1-0 edge.
- Hollins would trail 17-11 before a 6-0 run tied the score, Hollins was able to get a small advantage and hold it the rest of the way. In the third and ultimately final, set, Hollins was down 11-6 before exploding to regain control and go on to the 3-0 sweep of the Fighting Squirrels.
- First-years Bella Schultz and Annabelle Kemper led the way at the net. Schultz had nine kills, two assists, and nine digs while Kemper added eight kills with just one hitting error to go with a pair of assisted blocks.
- Evelyn Harris handed out 19 helpers, one service ace and a team high 14 digs. Norah Madrey dominated in the middle with five kills and five solo blocks. Ava Willard added four kills and two service aces.
Up Next: Hollins makes the short trip to Salem to compete at the 2026 Maroon Classic, hosted by Roanoke College, next Friday and Saturday.
