GETTYSBURG, Pa. – Sophomore Allie Stranick (Havertown, Pa./Merion Mercy) posted 24 kills and junior Caroline Sequeira (Millington, N.J./Watchung Hills) totaled 25 digs as Gettysburg College opened its season with a pair of sweeps against Gallaudet University and Messiah College at the Battlefield Classic Friday night inside Bream Gym.
 
Gettysburg (2-0), which swept its first two matches of the season for the first time since 2010, dashed past Gallaudet (0-2) with scores of 25-13, 25-18, and 25-12. The Bullets slammed the door on the night by scoring nine of the final 10 points to close out a 25-22, 25-19, 25-12 win over Messiah (1-1).
 
In its season opener against Gallaudet, Gettysburg hit .347 on the attack and closed the match by going error-free in the final set. Stranick led the way by hitting 12-of-23 attempts (.478 hitting percentage) and posting 10 digs.
 
Seeing her first action on the court since suffering an injury in last season's season opener, junior Francesca Garison (Metuchen, N.J./John F. Kennedy Memorial) posted seven kills and seven digs. Sophomore Faith Adams (Hillsborough, N.J./Hillsborough) missed only once on seven attack attempts and totaled a match-high five blocks.
 
Sequeira paced the defense with 14 digs against the Bison.
 
In similar fashion to its opening match, Gettysburg improved its hitting percentage in each set against Messiah, eventually finishing with 14 kills on 32 attempts (.344) in the final frame. The Falcons' best chance at a win came in the opening set. After erasing a seven-point deficit to force a 22-all tie, Messiah's comeback bid was denied emphatically with back-to-back blocks by the Bullets. Garison polished off the opening-set victory with a kill.
 
The Orange and Blue led by as many as nine points in the second set and ran away with the decision in the third with a match-ending 9-1 run.
 
Stranick added a dozen more kills, while her partner on the outside, Garison, knocked down nine kills and put up 11 digs. Sequeira posted 11 digs and freshman Sarah Ellis (Moon Township, Pa./Moon Area) steered the offense with 18 assists.
 
The second day of the Battlefield Classic will see Gettysburg take on Penn State Harrisburg (1-1) at 10 a.m. and Meredith College (1-1) at 2 p.m.