The Denison volleyball team hit the .500 mark for the first time this season with a pair of three-set victories at the Manchester University Invitational on Saturday. The Big Red opened the day with a 3-0 (25-11, 26-24, 25-8) win over Wilmington and followed that up with a straight-set decision over Albion (25-20, 25-15, 25-21).

In Saturday's opener against the Quakers, Denison dominated two of the three sets as they held Wilmington to 11 and eight points in the first and third sets, respectively. The Quakers put up a strong fight in the second before eventually falling 26-24.

Freshman Leah Reinfranck was automatic at the net, posting a .889 attacking percentage with a match-high eight kills in just nine attempts. Junior Annemarie Fischer and sophomore Rachele Lock each logged seven kills, while juniors Brittany Perry and Elena Lein chipped in six finishers each. Reinfranck and Lein also registered two solo blocks and one block assist apiece. Senior Jessica Borsani handed out 22 assists, while sophomore Carly Newell dished out 13.

The Big Red also logged double-digit aces for the second time this season. Senior libero Emily Marguerite led the way with four, while freshman Kristen Brennan served up three aces. Reinfranck, Borsani and freshman Kristin Thewes accounted for the other three aces.  Defensively, Marguerite recorded 17 digs, while Thewes added 15 to the team's total.

In the nightcap, Denison improved to 2-0 this season against the Britons after sweeping a three-set match.  Reinfranck once again paced the offense with 11 kills and a .526 attacking percentage. Lock added nine kills, while Perry and Fischer posted eight and seven, respectively. Borsani added 22 more assists to her season total, while freshman Kaileigh Poe handed out 16 helpers. Marguerite and fellow senior Allie Becker combined for 30 digs and four aces against Albion. Borsani also registered 11 digs in the match.

At the conclusion of the tournament, Marguerite was named to the all-tournament team. The senior libero finished the Manchester Invitational with nine service aces and 73 digs.

With the sweep, Denison improves to 5-5 on the season. The Big Red returns to action on Thursday (Sept. 18) when they travel to Westerville, Ohio to take on the Otterbein Cardinals. Match time is scheduled for 7 p.m.