The Lancaster Bible College Women's Volleyball team is off to a hot start, defeating both Washington (Md.) and Alvernia in three sets to begin the season 4-0 for the first time as a Division III program. The Shorewomen move to 2-1 overall and the Golden Wolves drop to 1-2 overall.

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vs Washington (Md.) – 3-0 Win (25-7, 25-16, 25-23)
 
How it Happened:
The Chargers cruised to an early lead in the first set behind kills from sophomores Lea Sareyka and Eden Belford. To wrap up the first set, LBC went on a massive 15-point burst with kills by sophomore Jessica Fletcher and freshman Madison Reap to blow the set open. Two blocks from junior Riley Dodrer capped off a 25-7 opening set win.
 
The Shorewomen kept it competitive in the second set, going point-for-point with the Chargers before senior Sheyenne King capped off a 6-1 run to give LBC a cushion. Reap accented another three-point run, then freshman Candace Fox got her first career kill to help close out the set, 25-16.
 
Washington (Md.) built a lead early in the third set hoping to stay alive, capitalizing on some Charger errors. It wasn't until a late four-point run featuring a kill from Sareyka and an ace from senior Emma Shaeffer gave the Chargers their first lead of the set. The Shorewomen battled by retaking a two-point edge, but Lancaster Bible carried their momentum to the end with a 25-23 win and a straight-set victory.
 
By the Numbers:
- The Chargers finished with five total blocks and 34 kills, while Washington (Md.) had just one block and 27 kills
- Jessica Fletcher finished with a team-high 10 kills and added three blocks
- Senior Emma Shaeffer dished 16 assists and fellow senior Leah Helman had 15 digs
- The Shorewomen were led by Giselle Kleinbussnik with seven kills

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 vs Alvernia – 3-0 Win (25-9, 25-17, 25-11)
 
How it Happened:
It was all Chargers from the opening serve with Eden Belford and Lea Sareyka getting kills early. The lead never shortened for Lancaster Bible, launching a seven-point run in the middle of the set to pull away and take set one 25-7 off an ace from Leah Helman and a kill from sophomore Chloe Belford.
 
The Golden Wolves stayed close early in the second set with several kills, the Chargers holding onto a slim lead. A late 7-1 run from LBC included kills from Sareyka and Jessica Fletcher to create some distance. Eden Belford had a solo block for the final point of set two, the Chargers winning it 25-16.
 
Set three was all Lancaster Bible, seeing kills from four different players as well as seven total aces. Reap had four straight aces to start the set and the Chargers cruised to a 25-11 set win and their fourth straight match victory to open up 2024.
 
By the Numbers:
- The Chargers dominated every offensive category, landing 10 aces to the Alvernia's two and connecting on 36 kills
- Jessica Fletcher, Madison Reap, and Lea Sareyka each had eight kills for LBC
- Sophomore Madeline Reed finished with 15 assists and 13 digs
- Leah Helman finished with a game-high 17 digs
- Hailey McDevitt had a team-high 14 digs for the Golden Wolves

From the Coach:
Head Coach Julie Brubaker had this to say about her team's historic start to the season, "This was a great start to the season! The team played well as a unit. I was proud of their effort and competitive excellence."
 
Information to Know:
The Chargers are now 2-5 all-time against Washington (Md.) and lead the all-time series 5-4 against the Golden Wolves. This is the first 4-0 start for the Women's Volleyball team as an NCAA Division III program and the first 4-0 start for the team overall since 1996. The Chargers have now won seven consecutive non-conference games dating back to last season and have three straight 3-0 sweeps for the first time since September 14-16 of 2023.
 
Up Next:
The Chargers host their first home game of 2024 at the Horst Athletic Center on Tuesday, September 3 as they take on Delaware Valley at 7:00 p.m.