Volleyball Opens 2024 Season with 3-0 Win Over Anna Maria

BRIDGEWATER, Mass. – The Bridgewater State University volleyball team opened the 2024 season with a 3-0 victory over visiting Anna Maria College.

The host Bears (1-0) won by set scores of 25-16, 25-11 and 25-10. The visiting AMCATS slip to 0-2 with the setback.

Sophomore middle hitter Lily Welch (Hanson, Mass.) paced Bridgewater State with a match-best nine kills and ten digs to go along with four aces. Welch recorded a .571 hitting percentage.

Sophomore outside hitter Ava Crane (Dartmouth, Mass.) tallied six kills, eight digs, an assisted block and a match-high nine aces in her BSU debut. Crane, who posted a .545 hitting percentage, served out the final set with three straight aces.

The Bears also received a match-best 18 assists from graduate setter Bethany Votta (Cumberland, R.I.). Votta also contributed four digs and a kill.

Junior outside hitter Kim Gowell (Durham, N.H.) checked in with eight kills and four digs while classmate Meaghan Coutu (Brookline, N.H.) notched five kills, a pair of digs and an assisted block.

Junior outside hitter Jana Hunt (Shubenacdie, N.S.) led the way for Anna Maria with six kills and eight digs. Freshman setter Gia Hall (Landenberg, Pa.) dished out nine assists and added three digs and a solo block for the AMCATS who also received four kills and three digs from freshman outside hitter Rilie Mendoza (Newark, N.J.).

Bridgewater posted a .366 hitting percentage for the match and finished with 16 aces. Defensively, the Bears limited the AMCATS to a -.029 hitting percentage and just one ace. Thirteen of Anna Maria's 37 points came from BSU serving errors.

The Bears are off until Friday and Saturday when they travel to UMass Boston for the UMB Volleyball Tournament. The Bears take on Trinity College on Friday night at seven o'clock, the host Beacons on Saturday at noon and Roger Williams University on Saturday at four o'clock. The AMCATS travel to Western New England University on Wednesday evening for a six o'clock match with the Golden Bears.