The University of Mary Washington volleyball team opened Capital Athletic Conference play with a 3-0 victory over St. Mary's College on Saturday at Ron Rosner Arena. Game scores were 25-8, 25-16, 25-16. The Eagles improve to 7-8 overall and 1-0 in league play.

UMW opened with a flourish, jumping out to a 14-2 lead before allowing a kill to the Seahawks. Three kills from senior Peyton Dunow and two each from senior Savannah Powers and junior Tenley Hares kept the Eagles at arms' length in a 25-8 first game victory.

In the second, the Eagles fell behind 5-1 before roaring back for 10 straight points, keyed by three kills from Hares, to grab an 11-5 lead. A pair of service aces from Wren Berry and a kill from sophomore Lexie Hendricks pushed the margin to 20-9, and UMW survived a Seahawk push to take the second, 25-16.

The third game saw the Eagles edge ahead by taking four of five points to assume a 7-3 lead. The Seahawks closed to within in 10-9, before three straight kills from Olivia Casey pushed the margin to 13-9, and the Seahawks would draw no closer than three the rest of the way.

Dunow and Hares led the Eagles with eight kills apiece, with Casey and Powers each scoring six. Berry led with 29 assists, and she and senior Kendal Hall each recorded two aces. Hall scored 14 digs, and Krista Rodgers, Powers, and Hendricks each had three block assists.

The Eagles will return to action on Wednesday when they visit Salisbury University in another conference clash starting at 7 p.m.