CASTLETON, Vt. – The Vermont State University Castleton women's volleyball earned a straight-set victory, sweeping Vermont State University Johnson 3-0 at Glenbrook Gymnasium. 

The Basics
Final Score: VTSU Castleton 3, VTSU Johnson 0
Location: Glenbrook Gymnasium – Castleton, Vt.
Records: VTSU Castleton 7-6 | VTSU Johnson 4-9
 
How It Happened
Castleton wasted no time establishing control in the opening set, jumping out to an early lead behind strong serving and a balanced attack. Lily Prevost's meticulous serves kept Johnson off balance, helping Castleton string together a 7-2 run midway through the set. Jocelyn Ray led the way with consistent swings from the outside, ending several long rallies with kills. Defensively, the Spartans limited the Badgers to just a .045 hitting percentage. The Spartans tallied 11 kills in the set while also capitalizing on Johnson's errors to pull away for the 25-16 win. 
 
The second set saw the Spartans hit their stride, increasing their team percentage to .290. They used a six point scoring run sparked by strong serving from Brianna Walsh and timely digs by Nicolette Vaughn to turn a narrow 11-9 lead to a 17-9 advantage. Johnson managed nine kills, but committed six attack errors that stalled their momentum. Despite brief surges from standout player Max Ludlow, the Badgers were unable to close the gap, and Castleton claimed the set 25-15. 
 
Johnson came back fighting in the third, keeping things close with consistent contributions from Tatum Kalahiki and Haylee Hansen. Ludlow remained a bright spot for the Badgers, leading with several well placed kills and a pair of aces that cut Castleton's lead to 14-13. However, the Spartans responded with a surge of their own with help from Grace Mack, who had a key block and kill. The Spartans hit a match-best .391, ending with a 25-17 set win and match sweep. 
 
By the Numbers

• Castleton hit .293 as a team, finishing with 36 kills, 12 service aces, and 33 digs, while limiting Johnson to a team hitting percentage of just .083. 
• Ray paced the Spartans' offense with 11 kills.
• For Johnson, Ludlow paced the team with eight kills, four service aces, and five digs.
• Alana Lewis led all players with 14 digs for the Badgers, while Delaney Gross chipped in 11 assists. 

What's Next
The Spartans return to action this weekend on September 27 in LEC action at Western Connecticut at 12 PM.