STEUBENVILLE, Ohio -- Junior middle hitter Lizzie Carmichael (Wyoming, Ohio/Wyoming) and senior outside hitter Claire Sauerland (Hollidaysburg, Pa./Hollidaysburg) each recorded double-digit kill efforts as the Washington & Jefferson volleyball team rolled to a 3-0 sweep of host Franciscan University of Steubenville Tuesday evening in a match played at Steubenville Catholic Central High School. 

W&J claimed the sweep by set scores of 25-22, 25-16 and 25-17. The sweep is the second straight for the Presidents, who improve to 5-3 overall. Franciscan saw its five-match winning streak snapped as they drop to 5-3 overall. 

The teams played through a back and forth first set before W&J was able to tally seven of eight points to take a 13-9 advantage. A little later in the set, W&J used another 7-1 run to take a 21-13 lead on a Carmichael block. The Presidents were able to hold on from there to take the first set by a 25-22 margin. 

W&J came out strong in the second set, as Carmichael and Sauerland combined to account for four consecutive kills to give the Red and Black an 6-2 lead. Six consecutive points gave W&J a commanding 18-9 advantage. More strong hitting aided the run as Carmichael tallied three straight kills to cap the run. The Presidents did what they needed to do the rest of the set for a 25-16 victory. 

After seeing Franciscan record the first three points of the third set, W&J took control of the set. A service ace by sophomore Lanie French (Beaver, Pa. / Beaver Area) and a kill by freshman Abby Tester (Munhall, Pa. / Steel Valley) stretched the W&J lead to 15-9. The Barons cut its deficit to four points (17-13) but W&J responded with a kill by Carmichael and two from sophomore Jaden Blough (Meyersdale, Pa./Meyersdale) to extend the lead to seven points. Freshman outside hitter Faith Fetsko (South Park, Pa./South Park) finished off the set and the victory for W&J with the final point of the match.

W&J's offense seemed to get stronger as the match wore on. The Presidents finished with 43 kills and a season-best .268 hitting percentage. W&J collected 17 kills and hit .433 in the third set. Carmichael hit .500 and finished with a match-high 12 kills. Sauerland tallied 10 kills and hit at a .409 clip. Fetsko (9 kills) and Blough (8 kills) added to a balanced hitting attack. 

Sophomore setter Adrianna Sacramento (Pittsburgh, Pa./Woodland Hills) collected 34 assists and 10 digs in the winning effort. Defensively, freshman libero Piper McFarland (West Mifflin, Pa./Cornerstone Prepatory Academy) was one of three Presidents to record double-digit digs. McFarland paced the defensive efforts with 15 digs while Fetsko added 11. 

After playing seven of its first eight matches away from Salvitti Gymnasium, W&J opens a three-match homestand starting on Thursday, Sept. 22. The Presidents welcome the Chatham Cougars for a 7 p.m. start.