VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. – Randolph-Macon Women's Volleyball started the season with a win as the Yellow Jackets defeated Wesley 3-0 in the season-opening match for both squads.

The Basics

Score: Randolph-Macon 3, Wesley 0 (25-22, 25-15, 25-17)

Location/Venue: Batten Center, Virginia Wesleyan University (Virginia Wesleyan Invitational), Virginia Beach, Va.

Records: Randolph-Macon (1-0), Wesley (0-1)

How It Happened

• Neither team found an edge until the Yellow Jackets tallied five in a row. Senior Bailey Jones (Suffolk, Va. / Norfolk Collegiate) started the run with a kills, followed by a service ace from sophomore Madison Warlick (Charlottesville, Va. / Albemarle) and another kill by Jones and one by senior Kai Cunningham (Virginia Beach, Va. / Kempsville). Wesley challenged from behind, tallying ties at 16-16, 17-17 and 20-20, but R-MC got three of the final four points to win 25-22.
• After Wesley got ahead 5-3, R-MC rallied to take the 7-5 lead. Wesley responded with six straight points before R-MC did the same, leaving the two-point lead intact. The teams traded another pair of points before the Yellow Jackets ripped off another long run with senior Angela Tender (Manassas, Va. / Stone Bridge) in service. R-MC extended the lead to 22-13, going eight straight without allowing Wesley to score again. R-MC won the set 25-15.
• Again the first set was close early. The teams played to an 8-8 and 13-13 tie, but R-MC scored nine straight after a 14-14. With sophomore Macguire Gubba (Grove City, Pa. / Grove City Area School District) in service, R-MC made the score 22-14 before finishing with the win 25-17.

Inside The Numbers

• Jones paced the Yellow Jackets with ten kills. Senior Alexia Wolfe (Midlothian, Va. / James River) followed with eight kills. Junior Kristina Smith (Virginia Beach, Va. / Cape Henry) and sophomores Sydney Koch (Raleigh, N.C. / Sanderson) and Danielle LaRosa (Charlottesville, Va. / Albemarle).
• Gubba led R-MC with 12 assists while Tender tallied 11.
• Junior Mackenzie Loewe (Leonardtown, Md. / St. Mary's Ryken) led Randolph-Macon with 11 digs. Smith added eight.
• Cunningham and Koch led R-MC with four blocks each with Wolfe adding three.
• Gubba had four service aces while Warlick, Wolfe and freshman Grace Parker (Andover, N.J. / Pope John XXIII) each had one.
• R-MC grew better over the contest, finishing by hitting .205 in the final set.

Up Next

R-MC continues in the Virginia Wesleyan Invitational as the Yellow Jackets face Pitt-Bradford at 10:00 AM tomorrow, followed by St. Mary's (Md.) at 2:00 PM.