ASHLAND, Va. – After an impressive seven sets of play, Randolph-Macon men's volleyball split its matches in the tri-match, including its fifth conference sweep of the season.
Score: (RV) Randolph-Macon 3, Eastern Mennonite 0 (25-12, 25-15, 25-16); #6 Messiah 3, (RV) Randolph-Macon 1 (25-22, 22-25, 25-18, 25-20)
Venue: Ashland, Va. // Crenshaw Gymnasium // Randolph-Macon College
Records: (RV) Randolph-Macon (14-3, 5-0 ODAC); Eastern Mennonite (8-8, 4-1 ODAC); #6 Messiah (17-2, 2-0 MAC)
How it Happened vs. Eastern Mennonite
- The Yellow Jackets exploded on a 9-3 run to start the first set, thanks to service aces from Landon Brinkley (Norfolk, Va./Norfolk Christian) and Phillip Van Essendelft (Chesapeake, Va./Hickory), as well as a joint block between Van Essendelft and Ian Wagenhauser (Glen Allen, Va./Deep Run). Down 5-12, the Royals called their first timeout after Kody Rogan (Chesapeake, Va./Hickory) connected with Bryce Matthews (Chesterfield, Va./Clover Hill). While EMU was able to hold its own, two kills from Wagenhauser and a kill each from Matthews, Brinkley and Nathan Karluk (Midlothian, Va./Midlothian) forced the Royals into another timeout, trailing 12-22. Randolph-Macon went on to take the next three points and win the set, 25-12, after Wagenhauser rifled back-to-back service aces.
- While Rogan and Van Essendelft combined for a block after nice kills from Brinkley and Van Essendelft, EMU held a 6-4 advantage through the first 10 points. The Lemon and Black then scored six consecutive points in response to recapture a 10-6 lead, as it was Rogan leading the charge with an assist and a kill. Shortly after, the Royals called a timeout while trailing 8-13 after another nuke from Wagenhauser and service ace from Matteo DeLuca (Glen Allen, Va./Maggie Walker Governor's School). The home team then capped off its 7-2 run by forcing an attack error from the visitors, leading 17-10. After a Davis Luck (Ashland, Va./Patrick Henry) kill forced a timeout from the visitors while down 14-21, three more kills from the senior pushed RMC to a 25-16 set two win.
- The Yellow Jackets got a quick 4-3 edge after Van Essendelft lobbed a pass up for Rogan, before Rogan returned the favor. After the Royals fought for a 6-4 lead, back-to-back kills from Brinkley pushed RMC back out to a 12-10 advantage. In a tight stretch, RMC earned a 18-14 edge, forcing a timeout from EMU after Luck provided two momentum-shifting kills. The Lemon and Black got a 25-16 set three win to close the match, led by kills from Luck and Wesley Graves (Chester, Va./Thomas Dale).
Inside the Numbers vs. Eastern Mennonite
- Randolph-Macon led Eastern Mennonite eight-to-zero in service aces, as Wagenhauser led the game with three.
- RMC held slight advantages in digs (23-to-16) and blocks (four-to-three), but ran away with the assists (35-to-15).
- Luck made incredible use of his minutes, as he racked up a match-high 10 kills, pushing RMC to a 39-to-17 advantage in the category.
- In the Yellow Jackets' fist set, they recorded their largest win margin (13 points) and highest hitting percentage (.391).
- The Lemon and Black tallied double-digit kills in all three sets, recording 11, 14 and 14 respectively.
- Rogan led the match with 28 assists and tied for match-highs in digs (six) and blocks (two).
- Brinkley and Wagenhauser tied for the second-highest kill mark of the match with seven.
- Van Essendelft added a tied match-high with two blocks, as well as a service ace.
How it Happened vs. Messiah
- Messiah opened the match on a 5-0 run, that RMC was able to end after it forced an attack error. Randolph-Macon was then forced to call a timeout trailing 2-10, after two kills and a service ace. Out of the break, Wagenhauser fired three kills in four points to help close the deficit to 6-12, stopping the momentum for the Falcons. Matthews then started to take over, as the junior registered a kill and a block to help inch RMC within three, down 10-13. Matthews and Karluk continued to pour in effort on defense, as two blocks brought them all the way back within one, down 17-18, forcing an MU timeout. While multiple kills from Wagenhauser edged RMC to 22 points, the Falcons were able to take set one, 25-22.
- Randolph-Macon found its groove to start set two, as it took a 10-6 advantage to force a timeout from the visitors. Van Essendelft and Matthews had a block on the run, while Brinkley and Wagenhauser both ripped kills to get the crowd on its feet. The Yellow Jackets were then forced to call their timeout once the set was knotted at 13, after a combination of service aces and Falcon kills. After the break, the programs traded points for consecutive rallies until RMC emerged with a 23-21 lead, forcing an MU timeout. The Falcons were forced into the timeout after kills from Matthews, Wagenhauser and Van Essendelft. The home team then won two of the next three points to take set two, 25-22, thanks to emphatic finishes from Karluk and Wagenhauser.
- After Matthews and Brinkley rejected a ball to start the set, Karluk delivered another denial of his own to propel RMC out to a 6-3 lead. Messiah responded with a strong push, as they forced a Yellow Jacket timeout after constructing a 6-0 run to take a 9-6 lead. The Falcons continued to build on previous momentum, as they took a 15-11, but Brinkley stepped up with a big kill to get his team back on serve. The Lemon and Black lost serve and then were forced to burn a timeout when trailing 16-20, as a result of an attack error and a handful of Falcon kills. Even though Wagenhauser placed a serve into the back corner to help out his team, the Falcons outlasted the Yellow Jackets to take set three, 25-19.
- While the teams were knotted at five through the first 10 points after kills from Wagenhauser and Rogan, Rogan found Matthews and Brinkley for well-placed kills to get the Lemon and Black ahead 9-7. Through the heart of the set, the media timeout stopped play while the Falcons had a 15-13 lead, after a series of long rallies. While MU took the next two points to get up 17-13, two kills form Wagenhasuer drove the home squad back to an 18-18 tie. While the programs traded service errors down the stretch, it was Messiah who held on for a grueling 25-20 set four win.
Inside the Numbers vs. Messiah
- The Yellow Jackets kept its defensive energy from match one, as they led the Falcons seven-to-six in blocks.
- In sets two and four, RMC obliterated MU in hitting percentage, as they posted a .435 and .455 respectively.
- RMC only recorded 14 errors across the four sets, while MU tallied 19.
- Wagenhauser led his team in kills (13) and aces (two), while also dishing out two assists.
- Matthews let the match with four blocks and finished second on the team in kills (eight) and digs (five).
- Rogan replicated match one with 28 assists, good for the second-highest in the match.
- Plucker posted five digs to tie Matthews, as the Libero also turned in an assist.
- Karluk finished second on the team with a .333 hitting percentage, only behind Wagenhauser (.391).
Up Next
Randolph-Macon has its second match of the season against Marymount, taking place in Arlington, Va. on Tuesday, March 3 at 6:00 p.m.
