GREENSBORO, N.C. – With a balanced attack and steady defense, the Guilford College volleyball team (4-1, 0-0 ODAC) celebrated its return to Jack Jensen Court in the Ragan-Brown FieldHouse with a convincing 3-1 (25-17, 25-14, 25-14, 25-18) triumph over Meredith College (3-2, 0-0 USA South) on Tuesday night.

Natalie Moore (Talbott, Tenn.) turned in another all-around performance with 12 kills, 13 digs, and four blocks. Chrisbel Alcantara (San Juan, P.R.) shined at the net with 14 kills on .367 hitting, while Madison Duvall (Sophia, N.C.) added eight kills and six blocks. On the defensive side, Vivian Cavataio (Mechanicsburg, Pa.) collected ten digs and four assists but the star of the match was Jillian Mapes (Hodges, S.C.) who posted career-bests and led the Quakers with 39 assists and 15 digs.

For Meredith, Caitlyn Russell led the way with 11 kills on a .286 hitting percentage along with a match-high 21 digs. Sara Dees added seven kills to go with her team-high 26 helper, while Hailey Evans chipped in six. Libero Megan Murrary steadied the back row with 20 digs.

After a tight opening stretch, the Quakers grabbed a two-point edge in the first set and extended the lead with kills from Moore and Alcantara. Cavataio's service ace pushed the gap to six, 21-15, and Guilford closed 25-17.

In set two, Guilford exploded by creating a 10-3 cushion as Moore and Duvall combined for back-to-back kills. Alcantara continued to find cracks in the Meredith block, finishing the frame with five kills as the Quakers pulled away, 25-14, good for their largest margin in a set win on the young season.

The third set belonged to Meredith, as the Avenging Angels strung together long service runs early to take it 25-14. But the Quakers regrouped in the fourth, racing to a 5-1 start after a Moore kill and a Duvall block. Meredith clawed back within two at 15-13, but Guilford responded with a decisive 6-2 spurt fueled by Mapes' steady setting and timely kills by Kaci Johnson (Winterville, N.C.). A Duvall kill sealed the 25-18 clincher.

Riding four wins in their first five matches, the Quakers will look to extend their strong start to the season on Friday, September 5, when they host crosstown rival Greensboro College at 7:00 P.M. on Jack Jensen Court.

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