GREENSBORO, N.C. - The Gardner-Webb volleyball team took the court for the first time in 2025 on Friday afternoon, defeating Sacred Heart and falling to Queens in action at the UNC Greensboro Spartan Classic
GARDNER-WEBB 3, SACRED HEART 2
The Runnin' Bulldogs started strong on Friday morning, with a 3-2 over Sacred Heart in the early game of the tournament. GWU won the first and third sets, then held off a late push by Sacred Heart in the fifth set to secure the victory.
In the decisive fifth set, the Runnin' Bulldogs jumped out to both a 4-0 lead and a 14-8 lead. Sacred Heart rallied back to cut the score to 14-12, but the Runnin' Bulldogs were able to force an error to grab the match-ending point
Garnder-WebbWebb was led by a solid mix of both newcomers and returning starters in the victory, with three in particular having standout performances. Junior outside Emma Kerwin was excellent in her first game as a Runnin' Bulldog, notching 13 kills in the contest. Sophomore outside Isabel Sandstrum and sophomore right side Samia Sayd each notched double digit kills as well with 13 and 11 respectively
On the defensive end, graduate libero Nalani McBride was excellent in her first game in a Gardner-Webb jersey, with the Temple transfer recording a team-high 29 digs. Redshirt junior setter Sloane Rooney filled up the stat sheet as well, recording a team-high 26 assists to go with 13 digs
QUEENS 3, GARDNER-WEBB 1
The late game wouldn't go the way of the Runnin' Bulldogs, with Queens taking the first two sets in route to a 3-1, Gardner-Webb defeat
GWU saved its best for the third set with a 25-22 win. The Runnin' Bulldogs were able to squash a handful of Queens rallies before they could get started, eventually able to pull away by as many as four without letting the Royals get any closer. The 'Dawgs wrapped up the set with a kill by junior middle Milla Lugo, one of her four in the game
Kerwin followed up a strong Gardner-Webb debut with 11 more kills in the second game of the day, while Rooney recorded 19 assists. Sophomore setter Olivia Lefebvre would go down as the big story for the Runnin' Bulldogs despite the loss, setting a new career-high with 22 assists to lead the team and along with 10 digs
Other standouts for GWU against Queens were McBride who completed an excellent individual first day in Gardner-Webb colors with 25 digs, and Sandstrum who recorded 14 digs and seven kills for the Runnin' Bulldogs
UP NEXT
Gardner-Webb wraps up the Spartan Classic on Saturday at 4:00, taking on hosts UNC Greensboro live on ESPN Plus
