Center Valley, P.A. - The Vassar Women's Volleyball team dropped its season opener in straight sets on Friday night at the DeSales quad. The Bulldogs won 25-21, 25-20 and 25-16 to earn their first victory of the season. Vassar falls to 0-1 on the young season. 

The Bulldogs raced out to a quick 5-0 lead in the first set including back to back service aces from Grace Grandinetti. Following DeSales' fourth service ace of the set to give the Bulldogs a 14-7 advantage, the Brewers took advantage of several DeSales miscues to earn six of the next seven points to cut the lead to 15-13. The Bulldogs held serve the rest of the first set and took a 25-21 victory in the opening stanza. Vassar was held to a -.125 hitting percentage while the Bulldogs held a 11-4 kills advantage. Freshman Molly Delahunty (Needham, MA) picked up her first two kills of her Brewers career in the first set.

DeSales jumped out to a 6-1 lead in the second set until sophomore Hailey Hayes (Canyon Lake, TX) picked up her first kill of the season to halt the run. Hayes picked up three more kills in the set but the Bulldogs defense continued to stifle Vassar as DeSales finished with three blocks in the set while the Brewers held a slim 8-7 advantage in kills.

Sophomore Molly Ardren (Essex, VT) started the third set with her second service ace of the evening as the two teams went back and forth to begin the set. After a kill from junior Ava Casalino (Portland, OR) to tie the set at six apiece, DeSales rattled off five straight points. Vassar responded with six of the next seven points to tie the set back up at 12 apiece, including a kill from freshman Rebecca Gutierrez (Oak Park, IL). After a DeSales service error, the Bulldogs ripped off seven straight winners and took home the victory with a 25-16 third set win.

Delahunty led the Brewers with six kills on the night in her collegiate debut while Hayes added four winners. Sophomore Morgan Miller (Lone Tree, CO) and Arden each had two aces and Ardren handed out 13 assists. Junior Maya Levine (Granby, MA) led the Vassar defense with 12 digs and Miller added eight. DeSales' Abby Weise had the game-high in kills with 11 while Grandinetti had three aces, which was a game-high. McKenzie Brady and Weise each had seven digs each for the Bulldogs.

Vassar was limited to hitting -.028 while the Bulldogs hit .207 and held a 32-18 edge in kills. DeSales also held a 12-6 advantage in service aces as well as a 10-3 advantage in blocks.

The Brewers continue play in the DeSales quad tomorrow as they will take on Stevenson at noon and Rutgers-Camden at 2:00 p.m. The Bulldogs will also take on the Mustangs and Raptors at 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. in Center Valley.