DANVILLE, Ky. – The Marietta College volleyball team lost a pair of 3-2 matches Friday on the first day of the Centre Classic. The Pioneers lost their first match to Defiance College (22-25, 22-25, 25-11, 25-22, 12-1) and then dropped the nitecap to host Centre College (19-25, 26-24, 15-25, 28-26, 15-17). MC is now 6-6 on the season.

Four Pioneers had double-digit kills in the Defiance match. Junior Alex VanGundy (Powell/Olentangy Liberty) led the way with 13. Sophomore outside hitter Paige DeVriendt (Bowling Green/Bowling Green) had 11 kills, while senior Meredith Storey (Olmsted Falls/Olmsted Falls) and freshman Natalie Lanham (Charleston, W.Va./George Washington) each had 10.

Van Gundy also recorded four service aces in the match. Freshman setter Laura Mauer (Terre Haute, Ind./North) directed the offense with 43 assists and a pair of aces. Defensively, Mauer had a team-high three blocks. Junior libero Jen Braun (Chagrin Falls/Kenston) notched 27 digs and three aces. Senior Alex Weissling (Dublin/Dublin Scioto) added eight digs and five aces.

Against Centre, DeVriendt posted a team-best 15 kills. VanGundy chipped in with 12 kills, three blocs and two aces. Lanham had 10 kills and three blocks. Mauer again piloted the Pioneers' attack with 44 assists.

Braun dug 18 Centre College attacks and had three more service aces. Freshman Brittney Merritt (Akron/Copley) added 13 digs, while Storey had a team-high four blocks.

Marietta concludes play in the tournament tomorrow with a 10 a.m. match against Hanover College (Ind.) and a 2 p.m. contest with Transylvania University (Ky.).