(Posted September 11, 2009)

LEXINGTON, Va. -- The Juniata College women's volleyball team improved to 7-0 on the season with a pair of victories on day one of the Washington & Lee Invitational in Lexington, Va.

The Eagles opened play in the W&L tourney with a 3-1 win over NAIA-member Southern Virginia University. Set scores for Juniata were 23-25, 25-15, 25-12, and 25-13.

Sophomore Drew Barnhart (Titusville, Pa./Titusville) and junior Kristin Noetzel (Closter, N.J./Northern Valley Regional) each had 13 kills for the Eagles, while newcomer Kelsey Fuller (Red Lion, Pa./Red Lion) tallied eight kills. Barnhart also racked up three services aces for Juniata, while Noetzel had a hand on six blocks.

Senior libero Megan Sollenberger (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley) turned up 19 digs, while junior setter Steph Strauss (Penn Hills, Pa./Penn Hills) had 24 assists.

Juniata capped the day with a 3-0 shutout of the host Washington & Lee Generals, by scores of 25-21, 25-21, and 25-22.

Fuller paced the Eagles offensively with nine kills, while Noetzel added seven and Paige Johnston (Lancaster, Pa./Hempfield) and Barnhart had six terminations each. Noetzel also logged three blocks, while Sollenberger had 11 digs and Strauss had 27 assists.

"We got a pair of road wins, and that's the good part," said Juniata head coach Larry Bock, "but we didn't look all that good at times, and that's the bad part. We're struggling offensively and we're struggling defensively, and that doesn't leave a whole lot left."

Juniata resumes play in the W&L Invitational on Saturday with matches against regional power Christopher Newport University, and top-ranked Emory University.

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Contact April Feagley at feaglea@juniata.edu or (814) 641-3131 for more information.