ASHLAND, Va. – On Senior Day, Head Coach
Christian Taylor earned the 100th win of his career, while clinching the #1 Seed in the ODAC Tournament, after defeating both Shenandoah and Averett.
Score: #17 Randolph-Macon 3, Shenandoah 0 (25-15, 25-16, 25-16); #17 Randolph-Macon 3, Averett 0 (25-5, 25-17, 25-13)
Venue: Ashland, Va. // Crenshaw Gymnasium // Randolph-Macon College
Records: #17 Randolph-Macon (26-4, 14-0 ODAC); Shenandoah (8-12, 3-10 ODAC), Averett (5-20, 0-13 ODAC)
How it Happened vs. Shenandoah
Randolph-Macon exploded on an 8-2 run to start the first set, as it was senior
Ian Wagenhauser (Glen Allen, Va./Deep Run) leading the way with a kill and two service aces. The Hornets found their footing after winning three-straight points to get back to an 8-5 game, before RMC took six of the next eight points to re-establish its lead, thanks to two kills from
Matteo DeLuca (Glen Allen, Va./Maggie Walker Governor's School) and one from
Phillip Van Essendelft (Chesapeake, Va./Hickory). Up 15-9 at the media timeout, two kills from
Davis Luck (Ashland, Va./Patrick Henry) propelled the Yellow Jackets to a 20-11 lead, marking its largest advantage of the contest. The offense down the stretch was too much for Shenandoah, as
Kody Rogan (Chesapeake, Va./Hickory) found Van Essendelft and Wagenhauser for kills, icing set one, 25-15.
While Shenandoah got the first two points of the second set, RMC used kills from Rogan, DeLuca and Wagenhauser, before a service ace from Wagenhauser, to earn an 8-5 lead. Once the Hornets ended the five-point streak, the home team used two kills from Van Essendelft and a joint block between Wagenhauser and
Nathan Karluk (Midlothian, Va./Midlothian) to take a 13-10 advantage.
Caleb Crowther (Yorktown, Va./Tabb) tallied two service aces immediately after checking in, piloting his team on a 7-0 run, establishing a 20-13 cushion. Even though the Hornets rebounded with four points in five rallies, a block between Rogan and Van Essendelft pushed Randolph-Macon to a 25-16 set two win.
Set three saw the programs alternate points until Wagenhauser rifled a kill and a service ace to establish a 6-4 lead. The Yellow Jackets maintained a two point lead until back-to-back service aces from Wagenhauser created a 15-11 separation. After one of the longest rallies of the match, Van Essendelft ripped a kill after both DeLuca and Luck, reaching a 20-12 score. The 7-1 run was too much for the Hornets, as a service ace from Luck pushed the home team to a 25-16 victory in the final set.
Inside the Numbers vs. Shenandoah
• The Yellow Jackets led the Hornets .363-to-.175 in hitting percentage, including a .433 and .444 in sets one and three.
• RMC paced SU 11-to-one in aces, 42-to-27 in kills, 35-to-23 in assists and 32-to-28 in digs.
• The home squad registered 13-or-more kills in each of their three sets played.
• Van Essendelft led the match in kills (10), while also tying for the most blocks (two). The senior added two assists, good for a season-high.
• After totaling 11.5 points senior now has 10-or-more points in three of his past four matches.
• Rogan led the match in assists (30) and digs (nine), while also tallying a block.
• The senior setter has 30-or-more assists in each of his last five matches.
• Wagenhauser finished second on the team with nine kills, and tied his season-high with a match-high six service aces.
• Crowther's three service aces marks a new career-high.
For the Record
• After defeating Shenandoah, Randolph-Macon became 13-0 in conference play, marking a single-season conference-high in wins.
• Additionally, RMC earned a 25-0 record since joining the Old Dominion Athletic Conference.
How it Happened vs. Averett
The Yellow Jackets jumped out to an early 4-`1 advantage, thanks to a joint block between Rogan and Karluk, before a kill from Karluk. Once a service ace from Wagenhauser put his team up 8-4, the squad won eight consecutive points to take a 15-4 lead at the media timeout. On the run,
Landon Brinkley (Norfolk, Va./Norfolk Christian),
Bryce Matthews (Chesterfield, Va./Clover Hill) and Rogan all had kills, while Van Essendelft had two back-to-back. The Lemon and Black continued to dominate out to a 21-4 lead, forcing a timeout from Averett, after Matthews ripped three service aces in-a-row. After the 15-point run, back-to-back kills from Van Essendelft and a service ace from
Finn Oakley (Cambridge, UK/Hills Road Sixth Form Collegiate) launched RMC to a record-setting 25-5 set one win.
After some back and forth play, RMC saw a service ace from
Tyler DeMeritt (Rota, Spain/David G. Farragut) before two kills from Luck to take a 7-3 lead.
Aaron Schreuder (Tomball, Texas/Woodlands Christian Academy) checked in and ripped a service ace to put his team up 14-7 to keep the momentum going for the Yellow Jackets. DeMerrit followed up with a kill before a service ace from Luck saw the home team earn a 20-13 lead. Even though the Cougars worked it back to a 16-20 set, kills from Schreuder and Luck resulted in a 25-17 set two win.
Brady Spicer (Virginia Beach, Va./Frank W Cox) started set three with a kill, before a service ace from Oakley and two kills from
Zach Bond (Henrico, Va./J.R. Tucker) put RMC ahead, 7-3. Once Bond fired a service ace to extend the lead, kills from Spicer and
Jaylen Hister (Henrico, Va./J.R. Tucker) resulted in a 13-6 lead for RMC. Thanks to a service ace from Oakley, RMC strung together an 8-2 run that was capped by kills from Bond and Hister, establishing an 18-8 cushion. Once Schreuder responded to a Cougar point with a kill,
Isayah Johnson (Fluvanna, Va./St. Anne's Belfield) got one of his own before Oakley ended the match with a service ace, taking set three, 25-13.
Inside the Numbers vs. Averett
• Randolph-Macon posted a .483 hitting percentage against Averett, including a .818 in set one. The overall hitting percentage ranks third in any match this season for RMC, while its first set hitting percentage mark is a season-high.
• RMC ripped 13 service aces while holding AU to just one.
• The home team also led in kills (36-to-16), assists (27-to-16) and digs (17-to-10).
• Oakley posted a match and career-high four service aces in the match.
• Luck led the team with five kills, adding eight points. The senior now has five-or-more kills in each of his last four matches.
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Thomas Eubank (Henrico, Va./Mills Godwin) led the team with nine assists, while also providing two digs.
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Caleb Brown (Midlothian, Va./Midlothian) tied his career-high with a match-high four digs.
For the Record
• For the second time this season, Head Coach Taylor used all 24 student-athletes in the match.
• Randolph-Macon's 25-5 set one win marks the largest point differential in any set this season (20 points).
Up Next
#17 Randolph-Macon welcomes Bridgewater to Ashland for a 7:00 p.m. match on Wednesday, April 1.
