Make it seven straight victories for the College of William and Mary.
The Tribe (10-3) is off to its best start since 2001 after winning the Colonial Challenge — its second consecutive tournament victory. The College was in control all weekend, cruising past University of Maryland-Eastern Shore, Radford University and Elon University on its way to the title.
Sophomore middle blocker Ginny Bray earned tournament MVP honors for the second weekend in a row. Bray averaged 1.41 blocks and 2.72 kills per game with a .379 attack percentage.
“Bray’s blocking has picked up a lot, and she is really starting to mature into her position,” Head Coach Melissa Shelton said.
The Tribe had an attack percentage over .250, meaning the College converted 25 percent of its attacking shots. The Tribe’s relentless defense resulted in 63 digs per game and double its average blocks per game.
“We have been getting better every time we step on the court and executing on the things we are working on in practice, especially with blocks,” Shelton said. “[It’s] exciting.”
After two victories, the Tribe carried its momentum into its final match, defeating Elon 3-1. Powell was a force in the final match, earning a double-double with 11 kills and 15 digs. Meanwhile, senior setter Kim Mount tallied 34 assists, 12 digs and six kills.
Mount and Bray overpowered opponents throughout the tournament, particularly during the second match against Radford. The pair propelled the College to a 3-0 victory against the Highlanders, which included 41 Tribe kills and four aces. The College also converted on 16 of 20 attack opportunities in the second game for a staggering .800 attack percentage.
“Kim Mount was making great choices [in terms of] who to give the ball to,” Shelton said. “Our girls did a great job taking care of the ball.”
The Tribe was strong defensively, dropping only one game all weekend. Solid defense from junior defensive specialist Lindsey Pflugner and senior libero Jo Sotto held Maryland at bay, combining for 33 digs and limiting the Hawks to a lowly .102 attack percentage. Powell also got into the act defensively, averaging three digs per game and earning herself a spot on the all-tournament team.
Mount also earned all-tournament honors, as she ignited the Tribe offense with 10.56 assists per game and 14 kills in three matches. Mount often assisted Bray and sophomore outside hitter Erin Skipper, who totaled 24 kills over the three games.
The Tribe travels to Richmond Thursday for its first CAA match of the season against Virginia Commonwealth University. Last season the Rams swept the season series with the Tribe.
