By Aaron Rodenhausen
Sports Editor
Washington College’s women’s volleyball team started the 2025 season with four away games in two days. The first pair of games took place on Aug. 29 in Wayne, N.J., against William Paterson University and Lynchburg University. On Aug. 30, the team traveled to Montclair, N.J., to play Montclair State University and Hartwick College.
The Shorewomen started out their game against William Paterson with a 4-3 lead, but the Pioneers quickly gained the advantage and finished the first set 25-14. Senior setter Allison McKechnie scored the first point of the second set before William Paterson moved the score up to 2-1. Then, sophomore middle hitter Lyndsey Wessel tied things up with a kill from sophomore setter Alexis Stubbs. The Shorewomen faced the worst point deficit of the game in the second set, losing 25-10. The WC team put up a hard fight in the third and final set as well, but ultimately lost that, 25-17, and the game, 3-0.
The Shorewomen fared better in their second game of the day against the Lynchburg Hornets, winning the first set 25-18. The Hornets tied the score up with a 25-16 victory in the second set, but WC took the lead once more in the third set. Junior defensive specialist Anna Titter initiated a decisive run alongside McKechnie, Wessel, and senior outside hitter Giselle Kleinbussink, which built up a 22-13 advantage. Wessel made the final kill of the set, securing a 25-15 victory. The score found equilibrium once more as the Hornets dominated the fourth set, 25-16, but the game finally went to Lynchburg, 3-2, after the Shorewomen lost the fifth 17-15.
Despite this first pair of losses, the WC team remained optimistic.
“These first games of the season were a good start for us. Seeing the foundation of the team and how we played so far gives us good feedback on what we need to work on for future matches,” Wessel said.
The team’s foundation was put to the test again two days later when they faced off against Montclair State. The home team sped past the Shorewomen toward the end of the first set with a 10-3 run, securing a 25-18 victory. The Shorewomen responded with a run of their own, 8-0, to take a 10-3 lead in the second set. Building on that momentum, the WC team clinched a 25-11 win, the highest point deficit of the game. The last two sets went the way of the Red Hawks, with final scores of 25-15 and 25-19. The final score of the game was 3-1, a victory for Montclair State.
The Shorewomen’s last match of the week started out strong; the team won the first set against the Hartwick Hawks 25-9, the greatest deficit from any of their four games. The Hawks hit their stride in the second set, however, and took the lead for good with a 25-15 win. Even so, the Shorewomen played their closest sets of the week after that — both the third and fourth sets of the game finished out 25-23. Nonetheless, the WC team lost its fourth game in a row, 3-1.
Still, the long and difficult weekend gave the Shorewomen a chance to prove their resilience.
“Playing four games in two days was tiring … we didn’t have breaks between our games, but I just see it as more time to play and improve,” freshman middle hitter Emma Shaner said.
This week was only the beginning of the season. Next, the Shorewomen will play their first home game of the year against Penn State York on Sept. 3, and will return to the road for another pair of away games on Sept. 6: Goucher College and Saint Elizabeth University, both in Towson, MD.
The WC team is already turning its focus from yesterday to tomorrow.
“Taking a loss is hard, but it’s the best way to learn,” Wessel said. “We have all talked about what we need to work on and are all ready to get back in the gym and get better day by day.”
Photo Courtesy of WC Athletics
Photo Caption: The Shorewomen opened up the 2025 season with four away games this weekend.