ASHLAND, Va. – The Lemon and Black continued their impressive play with two sweeps on day two of the Macon Invitational, as Randolph-Macon improved to 7-1 on the season.
Score: (RV) Randolph-Macon 3, Regent 0 (25-10, 25-18, 25-16); (RV) Randolph-Macon 3, Gallaudet 0 (25-10, 25-16, 25-18)
Venue: Crenshaw Gymnasium at Randolph-Macon College
Records: (RV) Randolph-Macon (7-1, 1-0 ODAC); Regent (1-6, 0-0 C2C); Gallaudet (1-5, 0-0 UEC)
How it Happened vs. Regent
- The Yellow Jackets opened the first set on a 9-2 run, as the home team forced four-straight attack errors from Regent. While Regent got the first two points out of their own timeout break, two kills form Bryce Matthews (Chesterfield, Va./Clover Hill) got RMC back out to a 12-6 lead. The Lemon and Black continued their momentum by winning three of the set's next four points, highlighted by a quick service ace from Kody Rogan (Chesapeake, Va./Hickory). Up 15-7, the Randolph-Macon offense exploded on a 10-3 run, including seven consecutive points to win the set, 25-10. On the point streak, the Yellow Jackets tallied five-straight kills, as Phillip Van Essendelft (Chesapeake, Va./Hickory) rifled three of his own.
- The second set opened on a more even slate, as Regent emerged with a 7-4 lead, after two consecutive kills from Sam Parsons and Preston Nemeti. After two kills from Ian Wagenhauser (Glen Allen, Va./Deep Run), RMC found itself only down 9-11, before the offense found its groove. The Lemon and Black found themselves up 15-13, after four kills in five points. Wesley Graves (Chester, Va./Thomas Dale) guided the run with three-straight kills, while Isayah Johnson (Fluvanna, Va./St. Anne's Belfield) also got one of his own. After Randolph-Macon surged out to a 23-16 lead, it then won the set, 25-18. During the scoring surge, Wagenhauser had two kills, while JB Brizendine (Moseley, Va./Cosby) and Matteo DeLuca (Glen Allen, Va./Maggie Walker Governor's School) each had one.
- The Yellow Jackets generated an early 5-0 run in the third set, as Davis Luck (Ashland, Va./Patrick Henry) had two kills and Thomas Eubank (Henrico, Va./Mills Godwin) had a service ace. The Yellow Jackets offense continued to produce, as they jumped out to a 15-6 lead after two kills from Aaron Schreuder (Tomball, Texas, Woodlands Chirstian Academy), and both a kill and service ace from DeLuca. While a service ace ended the scoring, two kills from Luck and a kill from Brady Spicer (Virginia Beach, Va./Frank W. Cox) forced a timeout from Regent with RMC leading, 23-12. In the end, Randolph-Macon took set three, 25-16, highlighted by a service ace from Caleb Brown (Midlothian, Va./Midlothian).
Inside the Numbers vs. Regent
- Randolph-Macon led Regent in hitting percentage (.474-to-.056), total attacks (76-to-71) and assists (38-to-17).
- RMC's defense shined, as they paced RU in block assists (13-to-2) and total blocks (6-to-2).
- Wagenhauser and Luck tied for a match-high eight kills, as the duo also combined for 29 total attacks.
- Wagenhauser led the team in hitting percentage (.727, minimum five att.), good for the second-best mark of his season.
- Rogan led the match with 20 assists, while Eubank also tallied 10. Rogan extended his 20-or-more assist streak to 16 matches, while Eubank registered his second double-digit assist match of the season.
- Rogan, Eubank and DeLuca tied for the match-high of two service aces.
- Rogan and Van Essendelft each had a team-high 1.5 blocks in the contest.
How it Happened vs. Gallaudet
- The Lemon and Black opened set one on a 7-3 run, highlighted by two kills from Van Essendelft. Randolph-Macon extended its lead to 12-6, after two kills and a service ace from Wagenhauser. After an attack error stopped the scoring, the Yellow Jackets drilled seven consecutive points, after two kills from Landon Brinkley (Norfolk, Va./Norfolk Christian) and five Bison errors, putting the score of the set at 19-7. Even though a kill from Kodi Lee broke up the streak, RMC won six of the set's next seven points to take a 25-10 set one win, due to two kills from Van Essendelft and a kill from Wesley Graves (Chester, Va./Thomas Dale).
- The second set was knotted at 5-5 through the first 10 points, until a kill from John McCabe put GU up one. Then, DeLuca and Tyler DeMeritt (Rota, Spain, David G. Farragut) each unloaded kills as part of a larger nine-point rampage, giving the home team a 14-6 cushion. While a kill from the Bison ended the surge, RMC went on to take the next five points, as it was Brown capping the run with a service ace. Even though Gallaudet was able to start forcing some attack errors form the home team, two service aces from DeLuca helped RMC push past the Bison, 25-16 in the second set.
- Set three saw RMC jump out to a 7-1 lead, as two service aces from DeMerritt guided the Yellow Jacket offense. The underclassman continued to produce on offense, as DeMerritt tallied another kill before Brown ripped his second service ace of the contest. With the 13-3 lead, Schreuder record a kill that sparked another 5-2 run, as Brennan Walker (Virginia Beach, Va./Kempsville) found DeLuca for a kill to put RMC up 15-5. After another kill for the Yellow Jackets, the Bison found some momentum, bringing the set back to 12-18 thanks to a service ace from Zachary Bippus. Even thought Gallaudet was able to narrow the deficit, Brown dropped in his career-high third service ace to put his team back up, 21-12. Even though the Bison were able to get up to 18 points, kills from DeMerritt, Zach Bond (Henrico, Va./J.R. Tucker) and Jaylen Hister (Henrico, Va./J.R. Tucker) saw the Lemon and Black take the match with a 25-18 set three victory.
Inside the Numbers vs. Gallaudet
- RMC led GU in kills (34-to-21), assists (32-to-19), service aces (nine-to-six) and hitting percentage (.397-to-.026).
- The Yellow Jackets continue to limit their errors this season, as they posted six reception errors vs. nine from the Bison. RMC also posted just nine attack errors, vs. 23 from GU.
- Graves and Luck tied for the third-most kills in the match (four), which also tied for second on the team behind Van Essendelft (five).
- Van Essendelft, Johnson and Hister all finished the match with a match-high 1.000 hitting percentage. DeLuca was just behind with .750.
- Rogan and Eubank led the team with nine assists each, while AJ Angeles (Norfolk, Va./Granby) and Walker finished with seven and four, respectively.
- Johnson finished with a match and career-high three blocks.
- Luck led RMC with five digs, which tied his season-high from the earlier contest against Regent.
For the Record
- Head Coach Christian Taylor used a program record 24 student-athletes in today's match against the Bison.
- Brady Plucker (Fredericksburg, Va./Riverbend) was named Macon Invitational MVP after totaling 27 digs across 11 sets played, including a match-high 11 against Shenandoah and a tied team-high five digs against Regent.
- Rogan was also named to the all-tournament team, as the senior finished with 73 assists across 10 sets, while also totaling 31 total attacks and 14 kills.
Macon Invitational All-Tournament Team
MVP: Brady Plucker, Randolph-Macon
Kody Rogan, Randolph-Macon
Davian Hugh, Bridgewater
Zachary Bippus, Gallaudet
Brady Wiggers, Marymount
Ariel Downer, Regent
Kailen Dmitruk, Shenandoah
Up Next
The Yellow Jackets resume play on Friday, February 13, for day one of the Stevenson Tournament in Owings Mills, Maryland, where they will take on Mount Union at 4:00 p.m.
