ANNAPOLIS, MD - The Gardner-Webb volleyball team ran its winning streak to four games on Friday night at the Navy Invitational, defeating Le Moyne 3-0 and hosts Navy 3-1, the program's first four-game winning streak since 2022

GARDNER-WEBB 3, LE MOYNE 0
Gardner-Webb wasted no time in the opening game of the Navy Invitational, dispatching Le Moyne of the NEC in straight sets. GWU won the first set 25-16, snuck by 25-22 in the second, then came alive for a blowout 25-11 win to complete the sweep

Throughout the duration of the contest, the Runnin' Bulldogs only faced a deficit of as many as five points, finding themselves down 6-1 early in the second set. Gardner-Webb had already set the tone however with a dominant first set win, one where GWU closed with nine of the final 11 points, that a 6-1 lead for Le Moyne was an 8-8 tie in a blink. 8-8 did eventually become 20-17 and 23-20 for the Runnin' Bulldogs, a second set hole Le Moyne wouldn't be able to climb out of by the time sophomore outside hitter Samia Sayd delivered the final kill.

After Le Moyne took a brief 17-16 lead in the second, Gardner-Webb would only trail again just briefly in the third set, when the Dolphins jumped in front 2-0. The Runnin' Bulldogs exploded for a 10-1 run late in the third to take control, eventually winning by a season-best 14 points and at one point leading by a season-high 15 points, up 23-8 down the stretch

LEADERS
Gardner-Webb had a handful of noteworthy performances in the first game, starting with freshman outside hitter Haedyn Crumbley who crushed 14 kills to the tune of a .353 hitting percentage. Sophomore outside hitter Caroline Franklin was excellent on attack as well, hitting a whopping .533 with nine kills in 15 attempts. Redshirt junior setter Sloane Rooney dominated in the assist column with a game-high 22, while three Runnin' Bulldogs posted double-digit digs, including Crumbley with 11, sophomore outside hitter Isabel Sandstrum with 13, and graduate libero Nalani McBride with 16

GARDNER-WEBB 3, NAVY 1
In the late game in Annapolis, Gardner-Webb would complete the Friday sweep and run its win streak to four games overall by defeating hosts Navy by a 3-1 final score

GWU made relatively quick work in the first two sets, winning 25-21 and 25-18. Navy got off the mat to win the third and stay alive 25-23, before the Runnin' Bulldogs closed with a thrilling 28-26 decision in the fourth

The third set win may have proved to be one of the most impressive for Gardner-Webb all season, as the Runnin' Bulldogs jumped in front 17-9, capped by a lengthy run that saw four different Gardner-Webb players record kills within just seconds of each other. Sayd and Crumbley continued to be the stars late, with back-to-back kills as GWU scored the final four points of the third

Redshirt outside hitter Serena Kohler would wind up as the brightest star for Gardner-Webb against Navy, and nowhere was that more clear than in the fourth set. Kohler, who finished with 18 kills, recorded four of them in a row late for the Runnin' Bulldogs and seven just in the deciding set alone. With GWU down 26-25 and a fifth set on the cards, Kohler connected on three kills set up by sophomore setter Olivia Lefebvre and one by Crumbley to finish, as Gardner-Webb won a wild 28-26 set and 3-1 in the match 

LEADERS
Crumbley was excellent yet again for GWU, recording 14 kills and six digs to complete a terrific individual day. Redshirt outside hitter Serena Kohler meanwhile posted the best individual game of her Gardner-Webb career by delivering a game-high 18 kills and a .455 hitting percentage. Sayd completed double-figure kills again with 10, while Rooney recorded 20 assists, 11 digs for a double-double and Lefebvre set a new career-high with 25 assists. McBride continued to lead defensively, posting 15 digs

UP NEXT
Gardner-Webb will aim for its first five-match winning streak since 2016 on Saturday in Annapolis, when the Runnin' Bulldogs meet Hampton at 4 pm to close out the Navy Invitational