FREDERICKSBURG, Va.  — The Catholic volleyball team took one final road trip before its home-opener this upcoming weekend on Wednesday night to take on Mary Washington as it tried to collect its first win of the 2025 season. After the match was tied up at one, the Cardinals played lights out in the final two sets with strong wins to take down the Eagles, 3-1.

The Cardinals were trailing 7-6 in the opening set, but quickly took control by rattling off eight points in a row to get out to a 14-7 lead. Julia Raab delivered two kills during the run, but the Eagles responded quickly and tied the set back up at 18 later in the action. Mariana Roman Cruz and Julia Turchiano picked up kills late in the set to give Catholic the advantage and Raab recorded two more kills on the final two volleys to put Catholic on top 1-0 with a 25-20 set win. The Cardinals held the Eagles to a -.088 hit percentage in the opening set.

Mary Washington rebounded in the second set by hitting .481 on 27 attempts to pull the match back even at one, 25-20. The Cardinals put together another strong defensive set in the third, holding the Eagles to a .000 hitting percentage. Catholic built up a 17-11 lead with a 5-1 run helped by two aces from Anna Maria Carella and another kill from Roman Cruz and Raab. The Cardinals closed out the set by taking the last four volleys with a kill from Laci Freitas and an ace from Alejandra Garcia to convincingly take set three, 25-15.

After falling behind 12-11 in the fourth set, Catholic went on a 7-1 run with Raab, Freitas and Roman Cruz all collecting kills to storm ahead 18-13. Mary Washington got back within one at 19-18 but Tuchiano picked up a kill and several Eagles committed attacking errors to help Catholic complete the victory 3-1 with a 25-20 set four win. The victory moved Catholic's record to 1-3 on the young season. 

Raab and Freitas both led the way in kills for the Cardinals with nine while Roman Cruz added eight and Turchiano finished with seven. Kate Berra led the way in assists with 18 and Carella totaled 15 in the match. Berra also led the way in aces with three.

Garica was the team leader in digs with 14 and Tanya Sichling came in behind her with nine with Raab also adding six. Juliette Cummings was a force in the middle for Catholic with a career-high five blocks. 

The Cardinals finished with their highest hit percentage of the season at .267 with also a season-high in kills with 41. They also held the Eagles to just .115 as a team which is the lowest surrendered by the Cardinals.

Catholic will welcome in both Eastern and FDU-Florham to Franny Murray Court for a tri-match this weekend on Saturday, September 6. The first match will start against Eastern at 12 pm.