LYNCHBURG, Va. – The Yellow Jackets out-hustled the WildCats in an efficient three-set match, giving them their 10th win of the season and second victory in the conference.
Score: (RV) Randolph-Macon 3, Randolph 0 (25-21, 25-18, 25-23)
Venue: Frances and Don Giles Gymnasium at Randolph College
Records: (RV) Randolph-Macon (10-2, 2-0 ODAC); Randolph (7-5, 1-2 ODAC)
How it Happened
- Randolph-Macon opened the first set on a strong 6-0 run, spearheaded by Bryce Matthews (Chesterfield, Va./Clover Hill), who had two service aces and a kill. Randolph rallied all the way back to tie the set at nine, after Shamel Smith had two kills, while two other WildCats registered kills of their own. Through the next 12 points, the set was still knotted at 15-15, but three Yellow Jackets tallied kills, including two from Kody Rogan (Chesapeake, Va./Hickory). RMC fought itself out to a 19-17 lead, forcing a timeout from RC, thanks to a kill from Ian Wagenhauser (Glen Allen, Va./Deep Run) and three-straight attack errors from the home team. With the momentum, Matthews and Nathan Karluk (Midlothian, Va./Midlothian) both fired kills, while the WildCats committed three service errors, giving the Lemon and Black a 25-21 set one win.
- The second set opened with some back-and-forth-play, until Rogan found Wagenhauser, Karluk and Matthews all for kills giving the Yellow Jackets a 9-6 lead. Quickly after, the Lemon and Black bolstered their lead to 13-6, thanks to a service ace from Matteo DeLuca (Glen Allen, Va./Maggie Walker Governor's School) and a kill from Phillip Van Essendelft (Chesapeake, Va./Hickory). After a service error forced Randolph into a timeout trailing 9-15, it elected to call another while still down 16-21, as a result of two kills from Wagenhauser, a kill from Landon Brinkley (Norfolk, Va./Norfolk Christian) and a service ace from Matthews. With the momentum, RMC closed out set two with a 25-18 victory, due to four RC errors, including three attack errors.
- Randolph got its best start to a set in the third, as it fought for a 9-7 lead accumulating its points via three kills and six errors from RMC. The Yellow Jackets remained resilient, as three kills from Wagenhauser, coupled with back-to-back service aces from Rogan, gave RMC a 14-11 advantage. As a result of the pressure, the WildCats called a timeout while down 12-15, but four kills and a service ace out of the timeout helped them even the set, 17-17. In the clutch, a timeout from RC was not enough, as Van Essendelft got himself a kill before Rogan assisted Wagenhauser and Matthews, pushing Randolph-Macon to a 25-23 win.
Inside the Numbers
- Randolph-Macon led Randolph in hitting percentage (.224-to-.178) and service aces (five-to-one).
- RMC's defense continues to impress, as it paced RC in blocks six-to-three, including six-to-zero in block assists.
- Brady Plucker (Fredericksburg, Va./Riverbend) led the match in digs with nine.
- Karluk finished the contest with a match-high three blocks, while Van Essendelft added two.
- Both Matthews and Rogan tied for a match-high two service aces and Rogan tacked on a match-high 23 assists.
- Wagenhauser led his squad with 14 kills, giving him 10-or-more in three of his past four matches.
Up Next
Men's Volleyball returns back to Ashland, where they will take on Virginia Wesleyan at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, February 21.
