WILKES-BARRE – Jamey Mikovich (Nesquehoning, PA/Panther Valley) recorded 13 kills to go along with eight digs and Karlye Huffman (Sugar Run, PA/Wyalusing) finished with 27 assists and a career-high eight digs as the Wilkes University women's volleyball team swept past Penn State Brandywine in the Colonels home opener Tuesday night at the Marts Center. Wilkes took the match in straight sets (25-14, 25-20, 25-20) and ended the match with 33 kills compared to just 21 for Brandywine.

With the victory the Colonels improved their record to 4-1 to open the season. The Lions dropped to 0-1.

In the first set, Wilkes led by only one point at 6-5 but a four point run finished off by a Juliet Betke (Poplar Grove, IL/Belvidere North) ace and an Alex Ferrier (Cressona, PA/Blue Mountain) kill opened up a five-point margin for the Colonels that they never looked back from. Wilkes strung together three more runs of three consecutive points to pull away to the 25-14 set victory.

The Lions led early in set two before a four-point run put the Colonels ahead 5-3. Mikovich and Katie Shue (Cornelius, NC/Pine Lake Preperatory) connected on back-to-back kills and Christie Challenger (Schuylkill Haven, PA/Blue Mountain) knocked in a service ace during the run. Wilkes built its lead to as many as six points in the set before Brandywine closed to within two points as late as 22-20. The Colonels finished the set with the final three points on two Lions errors and a Mikovich kill.

The Colonels looked for the sweep in the third set but had to do so from behind as the Lions jumped out to a 7-2 lead. Wilkes was able to battle back and took its first lead of the third set at 14-13 on an attack error by Brandywine. The Lions kept the pressure on until late with the Colonels lead standing at 21-20. Betke then notched a kill followed by a block by Challenger and Ferrier forcing the Lions into a timeout. Ferrier and Challenger then connected on consecutive kills out of the timeout to end the set at 25-20 giving Wilkes its fourth sweep of the season.

Betke finished with a team-high 18 digs and Julie Murphy (Mountaintop, PA/Crestwood) added a season-high 9 to lead the Wilkes backline defense.

​​​​​​​Mikovich hit .345 with 13 kills on 29 total attacks with three errors. Ferrier was second on the team with seven kills and Michele Natale (Kinnelon, NJ/Kinnelon) was third with six. The Colonels recorded nine service aces led by Shue with three.

Jade Maloney led Brandywine with six kills while Lauren Kelly and Becca Civera had 13 and 11 digs respectively.

The Colonels return to the Marts Center on Thursday night to host Lancaster Bible College in a non-conference match at 7:00 p.m.