FREDERICK, Md. - Hood College split a tri-match with visiting Bryn Mawr and Notre Dame (Md.). 

The Blazers opened the day with a five-set loss to Bryn Mawr 24-26, 25-23, 26-24, 22-25, 15-8. Hood rebounded to sweep Notre Dame (Md.), 25-14, 27-25, 25-12. 

Freshman Payton Belella (Smithsburg, Md. / Smithsburg) continued to work her way up the Hood leaderboard in assists. In the opener against the Owls, she dished out 49 assists, the second most in a match in school history and a freshman record. She finished the day with 80 assists in the two matches. 

Kari Betson (Frederick, Md. / Frederick) had 20 kills against Bryn Mawr. Kathryn Jones (Newfane, N.Y. / Newfane) had seven service aces against Notre Dame (Md.).

BRYN MAWR 3, HOOD 2

Despite the efforts of Belella and Betson, the Blazers fell in five sets. 

Belella had 49 assists, 14 digs and two aces in the contest. Betson led the team with 20 kills and four service aces, while adding 16 digs. Caroline Kinna (Frederick, Md. / Walkersville) had 17 digs and Courtney Hutchinson (Burtonsville, Md. / Blake) notched three blocks.

Hood faced set point in the first set, but a kill by Betson tied the score before two attack errors by the Owls gave the Blazers a 1-0 lead. In the second set, the Blazers jumped out to a 15-10 lead, but Zoe Holman had three aces during an 8-0 run that gave Bryn Mawr the lead. Hood reclaimed the lead, 21-19, but the Owls closed with a 6-2 spurt to even the match.

Belella served a pair of aces in the third set to put Hood ahead 24-23, but Bryn Mawr scored the next three points for the win. Hood forced a fifth set with a 25-22 win in the fourth-set, but the Owls took the decisive set and the match.

Rachel Ofili and Sarah Gates tied for the team-high with 17 kills for Bryn Mawr. Holman dished out 42 assists and served six aces. Noemi Moreno tallied 19 digs. 

HOOD 3, NOTRE DAME (MD) 0

In addition to the service of Jones, Elena Young (Hagerstown, Md. / South Hagerstown) and Bethany Montague (Baltimore, Md. / Redeemer Classical Christian) combined for 15 kills and no errors on 26 attacks to lead the Blazers to the sweep.

Young had nine kills on 16 attacks, while Montague accumulated six kills on just 10 attacks. Young led the team with three blocks. Belella had 31 assists. Brenna Elizondo (Littleton, Colo. / Heritage) had a team-high 13 digs.

Hood led just 14-11, but Jones served up three aces in a span of five points for a 19-11 advantage. It was part of an 11-3 run to close the set that gave the Blazers a 1-0 advantage. 

Back-to-back kills by Young broke a 25-25 tie to give Hood the second set and a 2-0 lead.

Jones aced the Gators for the final three points of the match, capping a 10-1 run to end the set.

Ashley Pasker had a match-high 11 kills for Notre Dame (Md.), but overall the Gators had just 19 kills in the match. Cleaya Antes led all players with 20 digs. 

Hood travels to Messiah on September 15 for a 7 p.m. start.