Oglethorpe volleyball beat Piedmont College 3-1 on Tuesday, Sept. 1, giving first-year head coach Mara Suarez her first win in Brookhaven.

The victory was also the Petrels' 2026 season opener. Oglethorpe dominated from the service line, recording 15 aces to Piedmont's four, and out-hit the Lions 48 kills to 37 while holding them to a .097 hitting percentage, according to Oglethorpe's athletics department.

Madison Thompson was the match's most efficient attacker. She hit .727 with eight kills on 11 attacks and added five blocks. Callie Simmons led the team with nine kills, and Jane Pennington added eight.

Abby Wheeler controlled the match behind the service line with six aces and anchored the defense with 15 digs. Ava Adams contributed four aces and 15 assists, while Lauryn Frazier paced the offense with a team-high 22 assists and three aces of her own.

Adrianne Ryan added 14 digs.

The first set offered the match's tightest stretch. With the score knotted at 15-15, Wheeler delivered a service ace to put Oglethorpe ahead. Simmons followed with a kill. Adams then reeled off back-to-back aces, pushing the lead to 20-17. The Petrels closed out the set 25-22 and carried that momentum through the final three sets.

Suarez, a Decatur native, was hired in July after compiling an 88-41 record in three seasons at Druid Hills High School. She led the program to consecutive state tournament appearances, including a Sweet 16 run in 2024, and was named DeKalb County coach of the year in 2025.

"I am so excited to start this new chapter here at Oglethorpe University … Growing up in Atlanta I have always seen Oglethorpe and been amazed at how beautiful it is," Suarez said in July when she was introduced as head coach.

Oglethorpe hosts Huntingdon College on Friday, Sept. 4, at 4 p.m.