Rocky Mount, N.C. - North Carolina Wesleyan's volleyball team earned its first win of the season on Saturday afternoon, downing rival Methodist University by a 3-1 score in Fayetteville. Freshman Samantha Morton tallied a career-high 13 kills in the victory, while sophomore Tori Stewart added 11 of her own.
The Bishops had previously opened the day with a tough 3-2 loss to Emory and Henry College (25-18, 20-25, 25-23, 20-25, 15-8). The third set proved to be the pivotal point of the match. Tied 23-23, the Wasps tallied back-to-back kills to take a 2-1 lead, and although Wesleyan would force a fifth set with a 25-20 win in the fourth, EHC would seal the match with a 15-8 victory.
Sophomore Beth Bradham and freshman Emily McLain paced the Bishops with a season-high 11 and 10 kills, respectively, while setters Ayla Brewer and Kayla White combined for 30 assists. Defensively, sophomore Christina Huber had 32 digs.
Versus Methodist, set scores were 12-25, 25-19, 25-23 and 29-27. Down 23-20 in the fourth, the Bishops out-scored the Monarchs 9-4 down the stretch to seal the come-from-behind victory.
Wesleyan (1-3) returns to action at home on Tuesday night versus Mary Washington. The match is slated for a 7:00pm start in Everett Gymnasium.