LYNDONVILLE, Vt. – The Vermont State University Castleton women's volleyball team opened the season with an emphatic victory on Friday night, defeating VTSU Lyndon by a final score of 3-0 in the Vermont Volleyball Classic.
 
The Spartans were victorious 25-8, 25-10, 25-7 in straight sets, racking up 30 kills and 17 aces as a team. VTSU Castleton also had a pair of blocks. The Spartans held a 26-3 edge in assists and a 41-26 advantage in digs while hitting .282 as a team on offense.
 
Hailey Martinovich was responsible for 11 points in the season-opener, racking up seven kills and four aces. She also had nine digs. Vanessa LeBrun had five kills and five aces while amassing 13 digs, tied with freshman Isabella Luna for most digs on the night. Madison Sheehan collected five kills, two blocks and two aces in her collegiate debut while Jocelyn Ray racked up seven kills and an ace of her own. Maddie Delsignore and Sophia Call split time at the setter position, with Delsignore amassing 12 assists and Call collecting 11.
 
The Spartans used a 7-0 run in the first set to take a 10-3 lead over the Hornets and closed the set with five straight points, the final four of which came on three kills and an ace. VTSU Castleton's longest run in the second set was six points, but the Spartans collected points in bunches throughout and closed on a 4-0 run to take a 25-10 middle frame.
 
The final set saw the Spartans put up nine points in a row to take a 16-3 lead before VTSU Lyndon rattled off three points in a row. Castleton finished on a 9-1 run from that point, capped by a kill from LeBrun to finish the match in short order.
 
The Spartans head back to Lyndonville on Saturday for neutral-site matches with Norwich and VTSU Johnson. The first match is scheduled to begin at noon.