SALEM, Va. Methodist volleyball traveled to Virginia on Friday for the Maroon Classic, hosted by Roanoke College. The Monarchs put together an excellent opening day, earning a pair of 3–0 sweeps over Hollins University and Randolph College at the Cregger Center.
Final scores: Methodist def. Hollins, 3–0 (25–19, 25–11, 25–23); Methodist def. Randolph, 3–0 (25–19, 25–22, 25–17)
Records: Methodist 1–3, Hollins 1–3, Randolph 5–2
Event: Maroon Classic
Host: Roanoke College
Location: Cregger Center; Salem, Virginia
Match One (vs. Hollins)
- The opening set featured a back-and-forth battle, with neither team holding more than a two-point advantage early. The tandem of Addison Johnson and Savannah Hovander then shifted the momentum in Methodist's favor during a 7–1 run, with Johnson recording three kills and Hovander adding a kill and a block to give the Monarchs a 20–15 lead. Hollins answered with a short run to pull within two, but Methodist closed the set with a kill from Grace Tillery and back-to-back service aces from Johnson to secure a 25–19 victory.
- The second set belonged to the Monarchs from the start. Methodist used strong serving to build an early 12–3 advantage, with Payten Bracey recording four aces, Harper Evans adding three and Johnson contributing one. As the Monarchs continued to extend their lead, Johnson added five more kills, while Hovander recorded three in the set. Methodist cruised to a 25–11 win and moved within one set of the sweep.
- Riding the momentum, Methodist opened the third set with an 8–4 lead. Hollins gradually cut into the deficit and pulled within one at 12–11, but the Monarchs responded by winning six of the next eight points to push their advantage to 18–13. Hollins continued to battle and eventually evened the set at 23–23. Methodist answered with consecutive points, as Faith Driver recorded a kill before Addison Yates delivered a service ace to seal the 25–23 win and complete the sweep.
Match Two (vs. Randolph)
- After the teams traded points to an 8–8 tie in the opening set, Randolph won four of the next five points to take a 12–9 lead. Back-to-back kills from Ashley Farman and Harper Evans sparked a 9–2 Methodist run, putting the Monarchs ahead 18–14. The Wildcats battled back to within one at 20–19, but Methodist responded by scoring the final five points of the set to take the opener 25–19.
- The second set featured several momentum swings. Methodist opened with a 7–3 run before the teams traded points. Randolph then won five straight to take its first lead of the set at 13–11. Following another exchange of points, Farman and Hovander each recorded two kills during a 7–1 Methodist run that put the Monarchs back in front 20–16. Randolph briefly regained the lead at 22–21, but Methodist finished strong, scoring four consecutive points to take the set 25–22 and move ahead 2–0.
- Methodist opened the third set with three straight points before Randolph answered by taking five of the next six to claim a 5–4 lead. The Monarchs then combined strong offense and defense to produce a 10–2 run and take a 14–7 advantage. Kills from Farman, Johnson, Hovander and Kassidy Edge helped Methodist extend its lead to double digits at 22–11. Randolph won six of the next seven points to make things interesting, but Hovander and Johnson ended the match with consecutive kills to secure a 25–17 victory and the Monarchs' second sweep of the day.
MORE TO IT
- Johnson led the Methodist attack in both matches, recording 16 kills against Hollins and 14 against Randolph. Hovander also reached double figures in both contests with 12 and 11 kills, respectively.
- Methodist turned in an impressive offensive performance against Hollins, recording 44 kills while hitting .391 as a team. It marked the Monarchs' highest attack percentage since their match against Brevard College in September 2025.
- Evans recorded 48 assists between the two matches, including a career-high 31 assists against Hollins.
- Farman and Tillery each reached new career milestones. Tillery recorded a career-high eight kills against Hollins, while Farman followed with a career-high six kills against Randolph.
- The Monarchs were especially effective from the service line against Hollins, with Evans, Johnson and Bracey each recording four service aces.
- Yates also turned in a strong defensive performance against Randolph, recording a career-high 13 digs.
- Freshman Meghan Holzinger made her collegiate debut in Methodist's victory over Randolph.
Up Next
Methodist returns to action Saturday, September 12, for Day 2 of the Maroon Classic. The Monarchs face host Roanoke at 9 AM before taking on St. Mary's College of Maryland at 1 PM.
