WISE, VA —  UVA Wise couldn't get the job done in their South Atlantic Conference (SAC) season opener against Emory & Henry on Tuesday, falling by a score of 3-0 (19-25, 21-25, 15-25).
 

The Cavaliers' attack was led by sophomore Kaylee Scarce, who put down a match-high nine kills against the Wasps. Fellow sophomore Lily Gutierrez paced UVA Wise with a solid leading 16 assists and kept the UVA Wise defensive end on track with a leading seven digs. Junior Cassidy Farley and sophomore Dannah Persinger each put up a team-leading block each in the effort.
 

It was Hannah Watson of Emory & Henry who led her team with eight kills and a .400 hitting percentage to keep her squad ahead in the 3-0 victory. In addition, the junior put up a match-high five blocks. Paige Halcrow placed 16 assists for the Wasps while Libby Bickelhaupt snagged 13 digs.

In the first set, the Cavaliers and the Wasps were in an evenly-matched battle as each squad reached 17 points. From then on, five consecutive errors from UVA Wise gave the Wasps the energy they needed as they whipped up a 25-19 win.
 

In the second set, Emory & Henry maintained the lead for the entirety and found themselves ahead by as much as six points as an attack error from the Cavs put them at a 19-13 score. UAV Wise charged back within three points with kills from Scarce and forced errors from the Wasps, but a final kill from Julissa Hopgood solidified a 25-21 win.
 

Despite a quick UVA Wise 3-0 lead from a Gutierrez ace and two Emory & Henry (1-6, 1-1 SAC) miscues, the Wasps kicked it into high gear in the third set. The Cavs suffered 12 errors and couldn't find their rhythm on the court, falling 25-15 in the finale.

Next, UVA Wise (3-2, 0-1 SAC) play two consecutive home matches against SAC competitors Mars Hill and Tusculum on Friday, Sep. 9 at 7:00 p.m. and on Saturday, Sep. 10 at 2:00 p.m.

Visit uvawisecavs.com for all Cavalier volleyball news, statistics, complete schedule, and more.