Franklin Springs, GA – The Emmanuel Women's Volleyball team picked up where they left off in 2025 with a 3-set win over Fort Valley State to open the 2026 season.
The Lions hosted the Wildcats as a part of the Lion's Den Invitational Tournament held at the Shaw Athletic Center.
The Lions jumped out to an early lead, taking the first set 25-15. Emmanuel carried the momentum into the 2
nd set to earn the 25-13 victory. The Wildcats rallied in the 3
rd to make things interesting, but the Lions closed things strong to earn the 25-22 win and the sweep.
The Wildcats started quickly in the 1
st set to take an early 6-3 lead, but kills by
Natalie Wilson,
Ellie Jackson and
Cailin Pritchard swung the lead the Lions direction, 9-8. Midway through the set, the Lions led 15-13 and captain, Jackson collected three consecutive aces to push the Lions lead to 19-13. The Lions closed the set on a 6-2 run to earn the 25-15 win.
Emmanuel carried the momentum into the 2
nd, jumping out to an early 6-2 lead on a kill by freshman,
Jada Porter. The Lions continued to pour on the points, taking a 15-8 lead midway through the set. Late in the set,
Marusa Pesut got hot at the service line with two aces and Wilson along with
Brianna Bigelow combined for 4 kills to push the Lions ahead, 22-9. Freshman,
Paige Hill closed out the set with a kill to give the Lions set 2, 25-13.
Lili Redifer, Porter and Pesut started strong for the Lions, opening the 3
rd set with the Lions leading 7-4. The Wildcats rallied to knot the set at 8, but an ace by
Isabel Miller and a kill from Wilson pushed the Lions ahead, 12-8. With the Lions up 16-12 midway through the set, the Wildcats used a 5-0 run to pull ahead 17-16, but the Lions rebounded behind kills from Porter, Bigelow and Pesut to give the Lions the 25-22 win in set three and the sweep.
Overall, the Lions had 38 kills, 9 aces, 34 assists, 2 blocks and 49 digs.
Natalie Wilson led the Lions with 11 kills, with
Ellie Jackson adding 7.
Marusa Pesut picked up 32 assists and 4 aces to lead the team, with Jackson contributing 3 aces.
Isabel Miller led the team in digs with 14, while Jackson and
Brianna Bigelow each picked up a block.
Next up, the Lions will host Augusta at 7PM tonight in the Shaw Athletic Center.
For more information on Emmanuel University athletics, visit goeulions.com.
