ASHLAND, Va. – Randolph-Macon outscored Eastern Mennonite by 31 total points in sets one and four but ultimately fell in five sets to the Royals.
Score: Eastern Mennonite 3, Randolph-Macon 2 (9-25, 25-23, 25-21, 10-25, 15-8)
Venue: Crenshaw Gymnasium
Records: Randolph-Macon (14-9, 8-4 ODAC), Eastern Mennonite (8-14, 3-7 ODAC)
How it Happened
- The Yellow Jackets jumped out to an early 5-0 lead to force a timeout from the visiting Royals, as Caitlin Smith (Greensboro, N.C./Greensboro) returned to the lineup and fired two aces. The Randolph-Macon run ballooned to 8-0, thanks to a joint block between Olivia Leonard (Mechanicsville, Va./The New Community School) and Ella Courtney (Arlington, Va./Wakefield). Mia Goode (Chesapeake, Va./Hickory) and Olivia Roark (Charlotte, N.C./Charlotte Country Day School) both delivered kills before Ellie Rock (Chesapeake, Va./Grassfield) followed with an ace, coasting the team to a 15-3 lead at the media timeout. Leonard, Allison Lach (Fredericksburg, Va./Riverbend) and Smith continued to fire at the defense, as the trio each posted kills to force EMU into a timeout, with it trailing 5-20. Smith tallied her third ace of the set before Leonard and Aiden Jolly (Fredericksburg, Va./Chancellor) each placed kills on the baseline, pushing the home team to a 25-9 set one win.
- The Royals presented some momentum in the second set, as two kills in a three-point span forced the Yellow Jackets into a timeout, with them down 6-8. While the EMU lead extended to 10-6, Lach settled her team with a kill and added an ace before Rock did the same, keeping the team within three at the break. Lach used another kill to bring the set all the way back to a 17-17 tie with Leonard on her heels with a kill, putting the Royals into a timeout with RMC ahead, 20-19. Despite the pressure, EMU rallied together a 6-0 run to close set two with a 25-23 score.
- Set three saw the teams remain deadlocked through 10 rallies until RMC called a timeout once it found itself trailing 6-9. The Royals used two kills and two service aces on the spurt and extended their lead to 15-11 on the media timeout as a result of two kills in three points. Lach stopped the slide for her squad, as she rifled two kills with passes coming from Smith and Jolly to keep the Lemon and Black within two. Once the lead increased back to five points, Rock delivered a well-timed ace but the relief was short-lived, as the Yellow Jackets called a timeout two points later. The Royals used it to their advantage, taking four of the next five points of the set to reach a 24-17 cushion. The Yellow Jackets did not back down, as a kill from Lach sparked a 4-1 run, which also featured a kill from Smith. The late momentum was not enough to pop the cushion, as EMU took set three, 25-21.
- RMC flipped the script to open set four, as an ace from Smith and kills from Goode and Leonard generated a fast 5-1 lead, putting the Royals into a timeout. EMU went on to call its second after it was lagging 2-9, thanks to blocks from Leonard, Roark and Lach. The avalanche continued for the Lemon and Black, as a 6-1 run sent them into the break with a 15-3 gap. The overall run ended at seven consecutive points, as it was Lach who boomed three-straight kills to highlight the offense. EMU countered with its own 5-1 run, however, Goode rallied with back-to-back kills to guide the Yellow Jackets to a 25-10 set four win.
- In the final set, the Royals used three kills to force an early timeout from the Yellow Jackets, with the score at 4-1. Goode broke up the momentum with a kill and Leonard posted an ace but it was the visitors who were pacing 9-5, resulting in another timeout from the Lemon and Black. The long rallies ended up favoring the Royals, as they took the final set, 15-8.
Inside the Numbers
- Randolph-Macon held advantages in hitting percentage (.108-to-.043), kills (37-to-35) and blocks (seven-to-four) across the five sets.
- In the first set, the Yellow Jackets led .421-to-zero in hitting percentage, 10-to-five in kills and six-to-zero in service aces.
- Similarly, in the fourth set, RMC paced .250-to- -.286 in hitting percentage, nine-to-four in kills and three-to-zero in blocks. RMC also trailed two-to-12 in attack errors during the 35 points.
- Goode led all players with 13 points and tied for a match-high 10 kills. She also added seven digs, two aces and a block.
- Lach joined Goode with 10 kills and she racked up 12.5 points on 33 total attacks.
- Courtney was the only player to tally multiple blocks in the contest.
- Smith led all players with five service aces.
Up Next
The Yellow Jackets host Regent on Wednesday, November 4 at 7:00 p.m. for their last home match of the regular season.
