BUFFALO, N.Y. - The Lock Haven volleyball team kicked off its 2026 season on Thursday night by competing on day one of the D'Youville Tournament and took down the host D'Youville 3-1 in convincing fashion. Lock Haven (1-0) claimed the match by set scores of 25-20, 17-25, 25-22 and 25-19.
 
Avery Smith led Lock Haven's attack with a match-high 10 kills and hit .333 on 24 attempts. Maddy Fox added seven kills, one solo block and four block assists, while Gracelynn Wolzen also finished with seven kills.
 
Natalie Gibson directed the offense with 27 assists and paced Lock Haven at the service line with four aces. Olivia Taylor added eight assists, three aces and a team-high 23 digs. Taylor's 23 digs led all players in the match.
 
The Bald Eagles totaled 11 service aces, compared to six for D'Youville, and recorded 64 digs as a team. Gibson added 14 digs, Reagan Irons posted 13, and Natalie Acevedo chipped in seven.
 
Lock Haven earned a competitive first-set victory, 25-20, after recording 11 kills. D'Youville evened the match with a 25-17 win in the second set, but the Bald Eagles responded with their most efficient offensive set of the night in the third.
 
The Bald Eagles closed out the victory in the fourth set, 25-19. Smith posted four kills in the final frame, while Lock Haven hit .200 as a team to seal the four-set win.
 
Lock Haven finished the match with 40 kills, 11 aces, 13 total blocks and 64 digs. The victory marked the Bald Eagles' first of the 2026 campaign.
 
Next up for The Haven:
The Bald Eagles return to the D'Youville Tournament tomorrow afternoon and will compete in a pair of matches against Kutztown (12 p.m.) and Pitt-Johnstown (4 p.m.) in Buffalo, New York.