(ASHLAND, Va.) – In a rematch of last spring's ODAC championship, Randolph-Macon nearly pulled off a miraculous comeback, but fell just short against Washington & Lee on Wednesday evening. The Yellow Jackets and Generals were battling for first place in the conference as both teams entered unbeaten in league play.

The Basics

Score: Randolph-Macon 2, Washington & Lee 3 (25-15, 25-20, 16-25, 20-25, 15-11)

Venue: Duchossois Athletic Center

Records: Randolph-Macon 14-5, 9-1 ODAC; Washington & Lee 19-5, 10-0 ODAC

How It Happened

• W&L opened the match by winning the first two games. The Jackets kept with the Generals for the first part of the set until it was 10-all, but the hosts scored seven of the next eight points to take control. The Generals finished the game in similar fashion with eight of the last 10 points.
• The second set played closer with teams going point for point. RMC looked to even the match up 17-15 in the second, but those plans were put on hold as the Generals rallied to score nine of the last 12 to take the win.
• RMC stayed alive with a dominant performance in the third. The Generals kept it close until it was 11-10 in favor of the Lemon and Black, but couldn't string together consecutive points the rest of the way. In the mean time the Jackets continued to push their lead and finished the set with kills by Sydney Koch (Sr., Raleigh, N.C. / Sanderson) and Macguire Gubba (Sr., Grove City, Pa. / Grove City).
• The fourth set belonged to the Yellow Jackets as they led for the majority of the frame. The Generals eventually were able to knot things up at 19-all, but a kill by Gubba sparked a 6-1 rally to force the decisive fifth set.
• The fifth played out as one might expect after witnessing the first four. Both teams appeared to counter each other throughout, but unfortunately for RMC, it was W&L that slowly pushed its lead and hit 15 first.

Inside The Numbers

• A trio of Yellow Jackets reached double figures in kills. Grace Parker (Jr., Andover, N.J. / Pope John XXIII) led the way with 15. Megan Bost (So., Angier, N.C. / West Johnston) followed with 13 while Koch added 11.
• Defensively Bost and Danielle LaRosa (Sr., Charlottesville, Va. / Albemarle) provided problems for the hosts up front. Bost turned away seven W&L attacks, while Parker totaled six.
• Leslie Currie (So., Mechanicsville, Va. / Hanover) led a quintet of players in double figures on the receiving end with 16 digs. Parker added 15.
• The Yellow Jackets defeat ends a streak of 10-straight wins. It had been over a month since RMC last saw defeat.

Up Next

• The Yellow Jackets will host an invitational for their final home games of the regular season. The action will pick up on Friday and continue on Saturday. Christopher Newport, No. 1 Johns Hopkins, and Emory will all be competing.