Aug. 24, 2007

Rochester, N.Y. - The Mercyhurst women's volleyball team opened its season by winning a pair of matches at the Roberts Wesleyan Tournament. The Lakers defeated Alderson-Broaddus 30-28, 30-28, 30-24 before defeating Houghton 33-31, 26-30, 30-19, 30-26.

In the opener against Alderson-Broaddus, Lauren Kubinski led the team with 13 kills. Freshman Justine Smith took over late in the second game and carried the Lakers to a critical victory, finishing the match with four blocks. Jenna Matson and Christine Nisbet had 11 kills each.

Against Houghton, Smith finished with a double-double, tallying 11 kills and 10 blocks. Another freshman, Kendall Ashworth, was crucial throughout the match, finishing with eight digs. Nisbet added 10 kills and Matson had nine.

Mercyhurst, now 2-0 on the season, will continue play in the Roberts Wesleyan Tournament Saturday.