BRYN MAWR, Pa. - The Bryn Mawr volleyball team hosted their first tri-match of the season earlier Saturday afternoon, hosting both University of Valley Forge and Moravian in a tough day of competition. Bryn Mawr opened the day by sweeping the Patriots 3-0 in the morning match in a dominating performance. After Moravian also knocked off the Patriots 3-0 in the middle session, the Owls and the Greyhounds squared off in what was easily the most compelling match of the day. Bryn Mawr showed some great toughness by battling back from several deficits, but Moravian got off to a great start in the decisive fifth set, and that was ultimately the key to their marathon 3-2 victory.

The Owls also used the day to help raise awareness for the battle against ovarian cancer by participating in the "Get Real with Teal" event. Bryn Mawr wore teal shoelaces and held a bake sale throughout the day, with both Valley Forge and Moravian participating and getting in on the action too.

In the first match of the day, the Owls made quick work of the Patriots, running away to a 3-0 (25-7, 25-10, 25-13) sweep. Valley Forge (4-6) tallied just five kills in the match against 19 errors, a tough combination to overcome. Bryn Mawr, meanwhile, ran on all cylinders, posting 24 kills in the match and putting up a solid .242 attack percentage. Where the Owls (4-7) really did damage on the day was with their serve; Bryn Mawr posted 16 service aces in the contest, over five per set. All but one of the starters recorded at least one ace, with Alexandra Nagelski leading the way with four. The defense was also a strong point for the Owls, as the team combined for 30 digs in the short match, answering every Patriots attack with a dig and response of their own.

After Moravian also dispatched of the Patriots in straight sets, the Owls and Greyhounds faced off in an epic contest. Moravian (5-7) controlled a good portion of the first set, and although Bryn Mawr staged a late rally, the Greyhounds walked away with a 25-23 win in the opening frame.

The Owls stormed back in the second set however. Kills from Caroline Cosby, Noemi Moreno, and Lauren Shue helped Bryn Mawr vault out to a 5-0 lead right off the bat. Even a quick Moravian timeout couldn't slow down the Owls attack early, as more kills from Moreno, Zoe Holman, and Sarah Gates put Bryn Mawr ahead 10-2. The visitors did respond, getting as close as 13-15 midway through the set. The Owls were not to be denied in this frame, though, as they led wire-to-wire and tied the match back up by winning 25-17. Bryn Mawr posted a solid .354 attack percentage in the set, their highest of the day.

Moravian answered back, winning the third set 25-21 to re-take their advantage, but then the momentum once again swung back in Bryn Mawr's favor. Trailing throughout the early part of the fourth set, the Owls got their intensity up and made a charge back in front in the latter stages of the frame. Trailing 17-12, Bryn Mawr went on a 5-1 run to get back within one point. A few points later, a kill from Rachel Ofili made it 21-22, and then a pair of attack errors from the Greyhounds vaulted the Owls in front. Moravian tied the match back up at 23-all, but one last kill from Moreno and another attack error by the visitors helped Bryn Mawr tie the match at 2-2 with a 25-23 victory.

Moravian got off to a lightning fast start in the decisive fifth set, however, and before the Owls blinked they found themselves trailing 4-0. A quick timeout helped turn that around, as the Owls closed as close as 9-5, but they simply did not have enough time for one last comeback. A kill by Cosby made it 11-14 for the visitors, and an attack error by Bryn Mawr would prove to be the winning point as Moravian clinched the match with a 15-11 win of the final set.

With the split, the Owls move to 4-7 on the season. They will have one more non-conference match before their conference season kicks off. Bryn Mawr will travel to Penn State Brandywine on Tuesday night for a 7:00 tip. Then, the Owls will return to the Class of 1958 Gymnasium for their first Centennial Conference tilt against McDaniel. That game is slated to start at 12:00.