DANVILLE, VA -- William Peace University volleyball opened up the Averett University Cougar Classic with two impressive wins over Roanoke College and Piedmont University. The Pacers would sweep the Maroons 3-0 for their first win of the early season before taking a 3-0 win over the Lions to improve to 2-1 overall.

THE BASICS

• Final score: 
  • Game One: William Peace 3, Roanoke 0
  • Game Two: William Peace 3, Piedmont 0
• Records: William Peace (2-1), Roanoke (0-2), Piedmont (0-2)
• Location: Danville, VA

HOW IT HAPPENED
GAME ONE - ROANOKE COLLEGE
Set One (25-21)
The first set would go in favor of the Maroons early on, as they would come out to a 7-1 start. A kill by Shelby Cooper would help cut the lead down to 9-5, with another kill from Cooper bringing the Pacers within one as they trailed 15-14. An attack error would even the score 19-19, while a kill from Hannah Collier would give the Pacers their first lead by a score of 20-19. The Pacers would hold the advantage for the end of the set, with Nancy Gamewell's kill putting the set away 25-21 to give WPU a 1-0 lead in the match.

Set Two (25-18)
The Pacers would control set two early, with a kill by Logan Moore from Alyssa Poteat giving them a 7-4 advantage. Poteat would contribute her own kill to increase the Pacer lead to 10-4, while kills from Hannah Collier, Logan Moore, and Nancy Gamewell would give WPU a dominant 18-9 edge. The Maroons would rally back a bit late in the set, but a service ace from Vivian Camplin would seal set two 25-18 to give the Pacers a 2-0 advantage.

Set Three (25-16)
In the third and final set, the Pacers would again control play early, getting out to a 6-3 lead. The Maroons would push back to tie the set 9-9. The Pacers would go on an offensive run by taking advantage of a few attack errors to lead 17-12, while a kill by Georgia Grace Anderson would bring the score to 20-14. WPU would continue to control the set, with Hannah Collier's kill securing the 25-16 win and a 3-0 victory over the Maroons.

GAME TWO - PIEDMONT UNIVERSITY
Set One (25-12)
The start of the first set would be back-and-forth as the set would be tied 7-7 early. The Pacers would go on an impressive 10-point run with kills from Shelby Cooper, Hannah Collier, and Georgia Grace Anderson to take a 20-9 lead. A final kill by Collier and an attack error would close the set 25-12 in favor of the Pacers.

Set Two (25-14)
The Pacers would control the majority of set two, getting out to a 5-1 lead on a kill by Shelby Cooper. The Lions would tie the set 9-9 before the Pacers would start to roll, with kills from Logan Moore and Shelby Cooper giving the team a 16-11 edge. A final kill from Georgia Grace Anderson would finish the set 25-14 and bring the match to 2-0 for the Pacers.

Set Three (25-19)
In the third and final set, a few consecutive kills by Hannah Collier and a service ace from Logan Moore would give the Pacers an early 4-0 lead. Piedmont would rally back, tying the set 9-9 and then again 16-16. The remained of the set would be a back-and-forth contest until the final four points, with Hannah Collier and Emerson Scollo putting up a few kills to close out the set 25-19 and take their second 3-0 win of the day.

PACER TOP PERFORMERS

• Hannah Collier and Shelby Cooper led the Pacers in game one with 9 kills each.
• Collier led the team with 14 kills in game two, while Nancy Gamewell added 9.
• Logan Moore led WPU in game one with 33 assists and 18 digs.
• Emerson Scollo and Georgia Grace Anderson tallied 3 service aces each in game two, with Hannah Ward notching 18 digs.

FOR THE FOES

• Lindsey Bailey tallied 9 kills for the Maroons in game one.
• Jenna Ash recorded 10 kills for the Lions in game two

STATS OF THE GAME

• WPU tallied 3 blocks in game one.
• The Pacers collected 11 service aces in game two.

NEXT GAME
The Averett University Cougar Classic continues tomorrow, September 4th as the Pacers face off against Shenandoah University at 11 AM before a rematch against Washington and Lee University at 4 PM.

For the latest news and updates from William Peace University Athletics, please visit: gopeacepacers.com, Facebook, or follow the Pacers on Instagram and Twitter at @gopeacepacers.