ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. -- The West Virginia Wesleyan (0-2) volleyball team dropped its season opening matches against Embry-Riddle (5-0) and Shorter (4-2) on Friday (Sept. 10) at Flagler Gymnasium in St. Augustine, Fla.
 
WVWC Day One Leaders
Junior Joelle Lalla and sophomore Michela Ayers both notched 12 total kills. Nine of Lalla's kills came in the match versus Shorter. The outside hitter from Columbus, Ohio added one solo block and eight block assists to her stat sheet. Lalla accumulated 17.0 points in two matches. Lalla led all players in the points category with 12.0 points versus Shorter. Ayers smashed seven kills in the match versus Embry-Riddle and five kills in the contest against Shorter. Defensively, Ayers snagged eight digs and four block assists on the day.
 
Two Bobcat players had double-digit assist totals.  Payton Hefner had 23 assists while freshman Sarah McCall had 11 assists over her first two collegiate matches. Madison Boswell hit three service aces in one set versus Embry-Riddle. Emily Reed accumulated two service aces on the first day of competition. Autumn Molenhouse racked up 10 digs on the first day in the Flagler Saints Classic.
 
Embry-Riddle 3, WVWC 0
 
The Bobcats took the first two points of the match with Payton Hefner serving. The Eagles responded by going on a 7-1 run to jump out to an early 7-3 lead. Lalla smashed a kill to bring Wesleyan within three points. Wesleyan would not get closer to Embry-Riddle's lead the remainder of the set. The Eagles claimed the first set, 25-12.
 
Embry-Riddle controlled the second set and did not concede consecutive points to WVWC. The Eagles went on two 5-0 runs and cruised to a 25-11 set two win. 
 
In the third set, the match was scored at two when Embry-Riddle's offense ignited an 8-1 run to go ahead 11-3. Both teams traded the next four points to put the score at 12-6. The Eagles took the next five points to extend their lead to 17-6. After an Eagles' service error, Madison Boswell connected on two consecutive service aces. Following an Erin Knight kill, Boswell again hit another service ace to put Wesleyan within six points. However, Embry-Riddle closed out set three 25-15 and won the match in three sets.
 
Shorter 3, WVWC 0
 
With the first set tied 6-6, the Hawks won seven consecutive points. After the Bobcats won two points, Shorter took the next five points to extend their lead 18-8. The Hawks were victorious in set one 25-17.
 
With Shorter leading 22-15 late in the second set, the Bobcats won six straight points to close the margin within one. Boswell's kill put the score at 22-21, but the Hawks won the next three points to escape set two with a 25-21 victory.
 
Shorter won the first four points of the third set. Wesleyan tied the score at 6-6 again after a Hawk attack error. Shorter went on an 8-2 run to make the score 14-8. Wesleyan responded with a 5-1 run of their own to close the Shorter lead to 15-13. The Hawks were able to pull away to take the third set, 25-19.
 
Up Next
The Bobcats will return to Flagler Gymnasium for a twinbill on Saturday afternoon (Sept. 10). Wesleyan will play Flagler at 1 p.m. followed by a match versus Lindenwood at 5 p.m.