Box Score HUNTINGDON, Pa. – After a record-breaking season, Randolph-Macon lost a physical contest in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, as the Yellow Jackets barely lost in a long four-set contest.

Score: #7 Messiah 3, #10 Randolph-Macon 1 (25-22, 27-25, 22-25, 25-16)
Venue: Huntingdon, Pa. // Memorial Gymnasium // Juniata College
Records: #10 Randolph-Macon (30-5, 16-0 ODAC); #7 Messiah (26-5, 7-1 MAC)
 
How it Happened

• While the Falcons got the first two points of the set, kills from Bryce Matthews (Chesterfield, Va./Clover Hill) and Landon Brinkley (Norfolk, Va./Norfolk Collegiate) put RMC within one, down 3-4. After the teams traded errors, Brady Plucker (Fredericksburg, Va./Riverbend) found Matthews for a kill, giving RMC its second lead of the match, up 10-9. While the Yellow Jackets earned a two point lead after Kody Rogan (Chesapeake, Va./Hickory) found Matthes yet again, the Falcons evened the set at 14 after an ace. Once Matthews got his team a 15-14 lead at the media timeout with his fourth kill, it was the Falcons who found momentum, going on a 7-3 run to take a 21-18 lead, forcing a timeout from RMC. Out of the break, Rogan hit Phillip Van Essendelft (Chesapeake, Va./Hickory) for a kill before Messiah put up a service error, leading to an MU timeout, thanks to a long rally kill from Matthews. Trailing 22-23, RMC let up a block from the Falcons, giving them a 25-22 set one win.
• While Rogan located Matthews for a kill for the first point of set two, Messiah took three-straight to get out to a 3-1 lead. Once Nathan Karluk (Midlothian, Va./Midlothian) registered a kill to get the team back on track, three different Yellow Jackets ripped kills, earning a 7-6 lead. Ian Wagenhauser (Glen Allen, Va./Deep Run) put up two kills in three points before Rogan found him for a third, capturing a 14-12 edge. The Yellow Jackets then reversed the offense, as Wagenhauser assisted Rogan for a kill, going up 15-12 at the media break. A bad set from the Falcons was followed by a Matthews to Wagenhauser kill, forcing a MU timeout as it trailed, 12-17. The Falcons found a way to apply pressure, as they used four kills to ignite a 5-1 run, getting back within one. Matthews posted yet another kill to re-establish a two point lead, but two more points from MU evened the set at 19. Karluk and Matthews joined for blocks in two of the next three points to knot the set at 21, but a Wagenhauser kill was not enough, dropping the set 25-27.
• Randolph-Macon used kills from Van Essendelft and Wagenhauser to open set three on a 6-2 run. RMC overlooked a MU kill that ended the run, as a Karluk kill put the Falcons in a timeout, as they were down 3-8. The two programs traded kills and errors until Brinkley forced two consecutive attack errors, putting his team up 13-6. While MU brough set three back within five, three kills in four points from Matthews helped RMC explode for an 18-10 lead, forcing a timeout from MU. Rogan hit Brinkley out of the break for a 19-11 cushion, but MU put together a 6-1 run, forcing an RMC timeout as it was still up 23-20. A Falcon block was not enough to complete the comeback, as a Karluk kill gave RMC set three, 25-22.
• The Falcons took three of the first four points of set four, but two kills from Matthews and a service ace from Rogan tied the set at four. MU used two service errors and three kills to earn a 9-5 advantage, forcing an RMC timeout. Rogan hit Wagenhauser out of the break which helped to bring the squad back within one, as Van Essendelft had two kills and Karluk had one. Despite the momentum, RMC was forced into a timeout, as it let up four-straight points. The Yellow Jackets were able to trade points out of the break,  but MU went on an 8-4 run to close the final set, with a score of 25-16.

Inside the Numbers

• The Yellow Jackets were able to lead in total attacks (121-120), as they also led in blocks (10-to-eight) and block assists (12-to-eight).
• The Falcons led in hitting percentage (.242-to-.190) and kills (56-to-44).
• Matthews led the team with 19 kills, as he also paced his team with 21.5 points.
• Rogan paced the Yellow Jackets with 38 assists, as he also logged a .500 hitting percentage, tying the highest in the match.
• Karluk paced all players in the contest, as he had eight total blocks. He also contributed five kills and 11 points, which was good for the second-highest on the team.
• Van Essendelft had six kills, 6.5 points and a block. Wagenhauser was right with him, as he was second on the team with nine kills  and had 9.5 kills and a block.

For the Record

• With his 19 kills against the Falcons, Matthews now has 314 this season, surpassing the 300 mark for the first time in his career.
• Additionally, Rogan tallied 38 assists in the contest. He now has 964 this season, good for a single season career high.

Up Next

The Yellow Jackets will resume action next season, as teh 2026 campaign has come to an end.