LORETTO, Pa. – A revamped Gardner-Webb volleyball squad set the tone early in its 2022 season opener on Friday night, as the Runnin' Bulldogs notched wins in each of the first two sets before going on to cap off a comfortable 3-1 road victory over Saint Francis in the first of three matches this weekend at the Red Flash Classic from DelGol Arena in Loretto, Pa.
 
"Whoa! What a team win!" said head coach Eric Plunkett. "Our team veterans really stepped up today. They were our rocks and allowed our youth to get comfortable. This Saint Francis team has a super fast offense that gave us some fits, but we focused on our discipline and the serve and pass game. It feels great to get that first win of the year and we are so excited to go out for more and compete again."
 
Gardner-Webb was led by a monster double-double from its most seasoned outside hitter, Kylee Garrison. The graduate student from Huntersville, N.C. led all GWU players with 16 kills on .293 hitting while also adding 14 digs.
 
Playing in her first career game, freshman Emma Cross also showed out for the Runnin' Bulldogs as the newcomer added 10 kills on just 21 attacks. Fellow freshman McKenna Timmerman tallied nine kills in her debut, while senior Delaney McCullough added seven kills and a team-high three blocks.
 
Senior Sophia Bolden tallied a team-leading 20 digs, while a pair of freshmen in Sophia Kotsovolos and Morgan Hornaday added 13 and 10 apiece, respectively. Hornaday also led GWU with 28 assists to notch her first-career double-double, while junior setter Tori Weatherley followed up with 16 of her own.
 
Gardner-Webb took control early thanks to a 25-22 win in the opening frame. After then falling behind by as many as five in the second game, 15-10, the Runnin' Bulldogs battled back to tie things at 17-17 before ultimately going on to outlast the Red Flash in a back-and-forth affair, 29-27.
 
After Saint Francis bounced back with a 25-19 victory in set three to avoid a straight-set sweep, the Runnin' Bulldogs once again assumed command as they doubled up SFU midway through, 14-7, en route to a dominant 25-20 final to solidify the first win of the season.
 
With a season-opening win now in place, Gardner-Webb will turn its attention towards a doubleheader less than 24 hours away as the Runnin' Bulldogs complete their final two matches of the Red Flash Classic on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. against Bucknell and 4 p.m. against Bellarmine. Both matches are available for live stream here.