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GOLDEN, Colo. -- The 11th-ranked Washburn Lady Blues volleyball team kicked off the 2009 season with four victories at the Colorado School of Mines Oredigger Classic on Friday and Saturday. Washburn posted 3-0 sweeps in each of the four matches.

The Lady Blues (4-0) won their eighth straight season-opener under eighth year head coach Chris Herron with a 25-19, 25-16, 25-20 victory over Western State on Friday morning. Sophomore Mollie Lacy led the way for WU with 11 kills and only two errors on 19 attempts for a .474 attack percentage. Senior Kate Hampson recorded 35 assists in the match to go along with nine digs. Freshman Tessa Brophy led the Lady Blues with 13 digs in the match.

Washburn recorded straight set win number two of the tournament with a 25-9, 25-23, 25-8 drubbing of Adams State on Friday afternoon. Lacy led the Lady Blues in kills once again with 10, while Hampson recorded 32 assists and junior Molly Smith had 17 digs. WU had a combined attack percentage of .307 as a team in the first two games of the Classic.

Junior Ashley Shepard led the way with 10 kills in game three, a 25-16, 25-22, 25-21 win over Mesa State on Saturday morning. Hampson had 27 assists and Smith recorded 16 digs.

The Lady Blues wrapped up the tournament with a 26-24, 25-22, 25-20 win over Fort Lewis College on Saturday night. Shepard once again led the way with 12 kills. Smith had 20 digs and Hampson recorded 34 assists.

Washburn hit .227 as a team for the tournament, while Hampson averaged 10.67 assists/set and Smith averaged 5.17 digs/set. Smith also named to the Oredigger Classic All-Tournament team.

The Lady Blues return to action next weekend at the Texas Women's University Tournament in Denton, Texas. WU will begin play on Friday at 1:30 p.m. against East Central.

Notes
-The Lady Blues are now 32-0 in season-opening tournaments under Herron, going 4-0 eight times