FREDERICKSBURG, Va. – Centre volleyball had a successful final day of the regular season as they earned a pair of victories to finish the year at 20-8 overall. After earning a huge regional victory over Christopher Newport in four sets, the Colonels knocked off Averett in three, highlighted by a career milestone for Madi Barron.
 
Game 1: Centre 3, CNU 1
 
- The first set was evenly matched with neither team gaining a huge advantage. The Captains used a 6-1 run to take the largest lead at 11-6, but Centre clawed back to retake the lead at 16-15 on a kill by Isabel Thornton. From there, the two teams traded the lead six times until CNU broke a 23-23 tie with the last two points to take a 25-23 win.
- Centre jumped out to a big lead in the second set, scoring seven of the first eight points. Christopher Newport cut the lead to one point, but the Colonels held the Captains at bay as Emily Goddin and Thornton put the finishing touches on the 25-19 win with the final two kills to tie the match at 1-1.
- The third set was another close one, featuring six lead changes and 14 ties as neither team ever led by more than three. With the score tied at 21-21, Syd Bietz delivered consecutive kills to put Centre on top, and then put home another to secure a 25-22 win for the Colonels.
- The Colonels blitzed Christopher Newport at the start of the fourth set, storming out of the gates to a 10-2 lead. Centre never trailed and never let CNU get closer than four points, comfortably winning by a score of 25-19.
 
Game 2: Centre 3, Averett 0
 
- Averett broke open a close opening set with a 7-1 run midway through, but the Colonels bounced back with six straight points of their own as Brooke Palmer gave the Colonels the lead with back-to-back kills. The Cougars fought off one set point at 24-23 to tie the game but Abby Swartz delivered the final kill on a 26-24 Centre win.
- The Colonels used a late 6-0 run to create some breathing room in what had been a close second set as consecutive kills from Goddin put Centre on top 21-12. From there, Centre cruised to a 25-20 win as Swartz again put home the clinching kill.
- Centre made quick work of the Cougars in the third set, breaking an early tie with a 9-1 run and then scoring the final six points of the match to win 25-14, with Emma Howell getting the final kill of the regular season.
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORES
 
- After pacing the Colonels with 20 digs in game 1, Barron added 20 more in game 2 to give her 1,634 career digs, breaking the previous Centre 25-point era career record previously held by Peyton Vacala.
- With their backs against the wall, the Colonels had one of their best hitting sets of the season in set 2 against Christopher Newport, recording 15 kills while hitting .414.
- Bietz tied for a game high with 13 kills against CNU, followed by Goddin with 12. Goddin also hit an excellent .458 for the match. In game 2, Goddin led all players with 11 kills while hitting .350.
- Emily Gardner stuffed the stat sheet against the Captains, finishing with 36 assists, 12 digs and four kills. Against Averett, she had 33 assists, 14 digs and two kills.
 
NEXT UP
 
Centre volleyball will travel to Berry next week for the Southern Athletic Association Tournament, where the no. 2 seed Colonels will battle no. 7 seed Oglethorpe in the quarterfinals.