(Posted September 10, 2024)

Juniata College holds the third longest winning streak across all of women's collegiate volleyball.

Juniata College holds the third longest winning streak across all of women's collegiate volleyball.

The Juniata women's volleyball team defeated Swarthmore 3-0 (25-11, 25-14, 25-15) on Saturday to break the record for consecutive wins in Division III women's volleyball. The reigning national champions have been undefeated with 67 straight victories.

The Juniata team holds the third longest winning streak across all of women's collegiate volleyball as Concordia St. Paul (Division II) is second all-time at 75 wins (2008–2010), and Penn State is number one with 109 wins (2007–2010).

Trailing 4-6 early, the Eagles capitalized on a 12-2 run that saw them retake the lead, 16-8, as Kennedy Christy closed the run with a kill. The run never really stopped, as Juniata dropped just three more points the rest of the way to take set one, 25-11, on the Kiona Sky Rousset-Hernandez ace.

Juniata continued to cruise, exploding into set two with a 17-5 that was capped by kills from Maggie Hayes and Maeve Edmund. A Hayes kill would eventually end the set, 25-14.

Set three was a tighter affair, with Juniata holding a narrow lead at 17-14. A kill by Olivia Foley, followed by two straight blocks by her and Courtney Williams and kills from Audrey Muth and Molly Mishinkash, put the Eagles up eight. A service error momentarily broke the momentum. But a service ace and two more Muth kills ended the match, 25-15.

Before the match, the 2004 Juniata women's volleyball team, who won the program’s first NCAA Division III National Championship, was recognized for their 20-year anniversary. They defeated Washington University in St. Louis in the National Championship 3-0.

Juniata returns to action next Friday, September 13, as they will take on the #2 Hope College, the team Juniata upended in the National Championship last year, in Holland, Michigan.

Contact April Feagley at feaglea@juniata.edu or (814) 641-3131 for more information.