Fifth-year Maddie Meyers once again led the Tribe with 18 kills, while freshman Cate Hatfield notched her second-straight double-double (22 assists and 10 digs). As a team, the Tribe finished with 12 service aces, its most since 2018, and 14 total blocks. Junior Olivia Esposito tallied eight kills, six blocks, and four aces, while classmate Nicole Smith led W&M with a career-best seven total blocks. In her first collegiate action, freshman Devereaux Hoxsie added eight kills in the final three sets.
The Bison (3-1) took an early lead in the opening set with four-straight points. Sidney Shaffer notched two kills and Tijana Kostic capped the spurt with an ace to give the visitors a 6-2 lead. W&M trailed by as much as five, 12-7, but rallied back to move in front with four points in a row. Hatfield highlighted the run with two service aces, including the final one to give the Tribe a 16-15 lead.
After Bucknell briefly retook the lead, W&M scored five in a row, highlighted by a trio of aces from junior Kaitlyn Dunnigan to open up a 22-18. The Bison countered by winning seven of the final eight points of the set, clinching it on a block by Shaffer and Kostic.
The Tribe (1-3) started strong in the second set with three-straight points, taking a 4-1 lead on a Meyers block and a Katherine Arnason kill. Bucknell closed to within 11-10 on two Shaffer kills, but Tribe blocks from Smith, Arnason and graduate student Sabrina Malcolm as part of a six-point run to put the Tribe up, 17-10. The Bison cut the margin to 24-22, before Malcolm pull the Tribe even at a set apiece with a kill to cap it.
The Bison moved back in front by winning the third set, 25-16. Bucknell hit an impressive 35.9% with 16 kills compared to just two errors. Kostic, who totaled six kills in the set, had two as part of a five-point run to open up a 5-1 lead. W&M closed to within 13-11 on back-to-back Esposito kills, but the Bison won the set by scoring seven of the last nine points.
The fourth started with a pair of runs. W&M ripped off six in a row to take a 6-2 lead on an Esposito ace. Bucknell answered by winning seven of eight points, including a pair of Shaffer kills, to take a 9-7 advantage.
Meyers flipped the momentum back to the Tribe, sparking a 9-2 run. She followed her own kill with back-to-back aces to put W&M in front for good. Leading 19-14, the Green and Gold put the finishing touches on a set victory, winning six of the final seven points. Meyers, who had six kills during the set, added a pair in the closing stretch and iced the set with another ace.
Bucknell jumped out to a 6-2 lead in the final set on a Caleigh O’Connell dump. W&M answered with a 5-1 run to pull even at eight and force a Bison timeout.
The visitors scored four of the next five, taking a 12-9 lead on a Bella Rodriguez ace to force a Tribe timeout. W&M fought off four match points drawing even at 14, 15, and 16. A Hoxsie kill put W&M on top 17-16, but Bucknell pulled out the match, winning the final three points capped by a Kostic kill.
Shaffer led Bucknell with 18 kills to go with seven blocks, while Kostic and Bri Frazilus added 13 and 11 kills, respectively. Jordan Hardy chipped in 33 digs in the match.
Up Next
W&M returns to action with two matches in the Tribe Invitational on Saturday, Sept. 7. The Green and Gold hosts Quinnipiac at 1 p.m., before wrapping up the event against in-state foe George Mason at 6 p.m. Both contests will be streamed on FloVolleyball.
