HARRISONBURG, Va. -  Hood volleyball picked up its first win of the season, splitting two matches on the second day of the EMU Invitational. The team fell 3-1 in the first match against Catholic, before sweeping Mary Baldwin 3-0.  

After the tournament, Hayley Rogers (Sandwich, Ill. / Brunswick (Md.)) was named to the EMU Invitational All-Tournament Team.

With the split, the Blazers improved to 1-3.

Catholic 3, Hood 1

In the first match against Catholic University, the Cardinals won the first and second sets, 25-13 and 25-18, respectively.  In the third set, Keesha Fields (Willow Hill, Pa. / Fannett-Metal) served up back-to-back aces to give the Blazers a 16-12 lead. Hood extended its lead and forced a fourth set with a 25-20 win.  In the fourth set, the Blazers led 5-4 early, but the Cardinals finished strong to win 25-14, taking the match.

Addie Roop (New Windsor, Md. / Francis Scott Key) led the team with eight kills and nine digs.  Along with two aces, Fields finished with 17 digs.  Brenna Elizondo (Littleton, Colo. / Heritage) notched 17 assists, and Kathryn Jones (Newfane, N.Y. / Newfane) added seven.  

For Catholic, Mary Paige Nesfeder led the team with 13 kills, and Michelle Bouchard finished with 26 digs. 

Hood 3, Mary Baldwin 0

Hood picked up its first win of the season with a 3-0 sweep over Mary Baldwin.

After winning two closely contested sets, 25-21 and 29-27, the Blazers finished off the victory with a 25-15 win in the decisive third set. 

A kill by Roop gave Hood a 6-5 lead in the first set, before eight straight points from the Fighting Squirrels put MBC ahead 14-6.  Two kills and an ace Elizabeth Hawkesworth (Westminister, Md. / Winters Mill) started a Blazer rally. Three straight aces from Elizondo completed the comeback, as Hood took a 20-19 lead.

In the second set, Hood led until Mary Baldwin went ahead 23-22.  The teams battled back and forth before a block by Rogers gave the Blazers match point at 28-27.  An attack error by the Fighting Squirrels allowed the Blazers to take a 2-0 lead in the match.  

Hood took control of the third set early, scoring the first five points.

Hawkesworth led the team with nine kills, and Ashley Park-Brouse (Myersville, Md. / Middletown) added six.  Elizondo had a double-double with 28 assists and 11 digs, and had a match-high five aces. Roop led the team with 15 digs and added three aces.  Rogers and Park-Brouse both had three blocks.

The team returns to Frederick to play its first home match of the season on September 3.