Volleyball Opens Season with 3-1 Win Against Goshen

COLUMBIA, Ky. – The volleyball team opened its 2025 campaign in style, earning a 3–1 victory over Goshen College on Friday at the Raiders and Roar Invitational. Tennessee Wesleyan took control of the match early, winning the match 3-1 with set scores of 25-20, 25-14, 19-25, 25-21.

Tennessee Wesleyan wasted no time setting the tone in the opening frame. Behind the steady setting of Alley Hibdon and powerful swings from Janie Merritt and Amya Sutton, the Bulldogs stormed ahead 8–2 to force a Goshen timeout. Kills from Savannah Jones and Ella Brannan extended the lead, and a service ace from Bailey Dalton sealed the 25–20 first-set win.

The second set was all Tennessee Wesleyan, as the Bulldogs dominated from the service line and the net. Savannah Jones rattled off back-to-back aces, while Hunter Ford controlled the middle with timely kills and blocks. TWU capitalized on Goshen errors and surged to a commanding 25–14 win, going up 2–0 in the match.

Goshen fought back in the third, using a late run to steal a 25–19 win, but the Bulldogs quickly regrouped. In the decisive fourth set, Tennessee Wesleyan leaned on its veterans to close the door. Hibdon sparked the rally with consecutive service aces to give TWU a 22–21 lead. From there, Ford, Sutton, and Hibdon delivered three straight kills before Hibdon iced the match with another ace to secure the 25–21 victory.