GALLOWAY, N.J. – The Yellow Jackets dropped a tough five-set match against Stockton for their first loss of the season but rebounded well with a dominant sweep over Wilkes.
Score: Stockton 3, Randolph-Macon 2 (25-10, 24-26, 22-25, 25-10, 15-3); Randolph-Macon 3, Wilkes 0 (25-21, 25-20, 25-22)
Venue: The Sports Center at Galloway, N.J.
Records: Randolph-Macon (4-1 0-0 ODAC); Stockton (3-2, 0-0 NJAC); Wilkes (6-1, 0-0 Landmark)
How it Happened vs. Stockton:
- Stockton started the first set on a 7-0 run, forcing Randolph-Macon into an early timeout after the run included two kills and two service aces. Out of the break, the Ospreys let two more service aces fly, resulting in another RMC timeout as it trailed 9-0. Caitlin Smith (Greensboro, N.C./Greensboro Day School) located Ella Courtney (Arlington, Va./Wakefield) for a kill to get the Lemon and Black on the board, before the same connection worked for a 2-11 score. While Smith went on to find Mia Goode (Chesapeake, Va./Hickory) and Olivia Leonard (Richmond, Va./The New Community School) for kills, SU increased its lead to 17-5 after another ace. RMC took three of the next four points with kills again from Goode and Leonard, but dropped the first set, 25-10.
- While Smith began the second set with a service ace and assisted Allison Lach (Fredericksburg, Va./Riverbend) for a kill, the Ospreys jumped out to a 7-2 advantage, forcing the Lemon and Black into a timeout. RMC presented momentum out of the break, as two kills from Goode and one from Leonard brought the squad back within two. Marie Hall (High Point, N.C./Southwest Guilford) got on the board with a kill and Leonard followed with one of her own, resulting in an SU timeout with the program's lead only at one. Five different Yellow Jackets erupted for kills, which propelled RMC to a 17-14 lead. Despite the pressure, RMC was forced to call another timeout after the Ospreys bounced back with five points in six rallies. Emery Caylor (Baxley, Ga./Appling County) assisted Smith for a kill to ignite a 4-1 run and even though SU used its second timeout of the set to try and slow the Yellow Jackets down, RMC took set two, 26-24, thanks to a joint block between Leonard and Courtney.
- The Ospreys opened set three with three consecutive kills but a service ace from Smith and two kills from Goode brought the Lemon and Black back within one, trailing 6-7. SU responded with a 4-1 run of its own, forcing a handful of attack errors, to put RMC in its first timeout down 7-11. Smith used back-to-back kills from two different teammates to establish some offense out of the break which helped the Lemon and Black knot the set 14-14, thanks to a 4-0 run that included three kills from Leonard and a service ace from Lach. The following timeout from SU was not enough, as the RMC run ballooned to 7-1 as a result of three Osprey errors, putting them in another timeout down 14-17. RMC's lead increased to 21-16 on a 4-1 run, which proved to be enough to capture a 25-22 set three win. To close it out, Smith located Courtney and Lach for back-to-back rips.
- SU found itself up 6-3 to start set four, as an ace from Smith and kill from Courtney was not enough to keep RMC out of a timeout. Three-straight service aces and two kills from the Ospreys pushed the cushion to 12-3, resulting in the Lemon and Black's second timeout. Avery Jastrzemski (Richmond, Va./Goochland) ended the run with her first kill of the match and although Hall and Goode each posted kills prior to a Smith service ace, the Ospreys cruised to a 25-10 set four win.
- Smith assisted Lach on a kill to kick off set five, but it was the Osprey's who took the next three points on two kills and an ace. Courtney used a kill to get back within one, however, SU forced RMC into its first timeout of the fifth set as a result of two errors and a service ace. Trailing 3-8 heading into the break, RMC was unable to complete the comeback, as the Ospreys closed the final set on a 7-0 run to reach a 15-3 victory.
Inside the Numbers vs. Stockton
- Randolph-Macon led Stockton 150-to-126 in total attacks and finished just behind in kills (40-to-47).
- In both sets two and three, RMC paced the Ospreys in kills and hitting percentage.
- Goode led the way with a team-high 11 kills, while also finishing third on the team in digs (10), assists (two) and blocks (one). Her 11 kills ties her season-high mark, while her .267 hitting percentage is her top mark of 2026.
- Smith tied for a match-high four service aces, while also providing 32 assists, more than anyone else in the contest.
- Caylor posted a team-high 13 digs and added a tied career-best three assists. She now has 12-or-more digs in three of her four matches played.
How it Happened vs. Wilkes
- Set one opened with each team trading points until a 3-0 spurt from Randolph-Macon gave it a 9-10 lead. A kill from Jastrzemski started the offense, a joint block between Goode and Courtney continued the momentum and a service ace from Smith put the team out front. Service aces from Ashley Grace Johnstone (Richmond, Va./Collegiate) and Josie Osborne (Wake Forest, N.C./Wake Prep Academy) helped cap off a 4-2 run that gave the Yellow Jackets a 15-13 lead. The Colonels rebounded with a 4-0 of their own, before RMC exploded for its own 5-0 run, thanks to two kills from Jastrzemski and a service ace and kill from Goode. The pressure was too much for Wilkes to handle, as kills from Leonard and Hall pushed RMC to a 25-21 set one win.
- Set two saw the Lemon and Black get out to a 6-3 lead on a service ace from Osborne. Even though Jastrzemski provided two kills of her own, the Colonels reached back out to a 9-8 lead on their own service ace. Randolph-Macon rose to the challenge and went on its own 9-2 run to establish a 17-11 cushion. The scoring started with Sydney Wade (Powhatan, Va./Powhatan), who had a kill and a service ace and was finished Jastrzemski, who had three kills in a span of four points. Once a service error ended the explosion, kills from Goode and Hall, coupled with a service ace from Osborne resulted in a 21-13 lead. A 4-0 run in response was not enough from Wilkes, as another kill from Hall and service ace from Smith capped a 25-20 set two victory.
- The Yellow Jackets kept their pressure heading into the third set, as three kills and a service ace from Goode pushed the score to 9-6. The two programs traded 3-0 runs to keep RMC ahead 12-9, but the Colonels tied the set at 14 as a result of two RMC errors and a kill. Now down 16-17, the Lemon and Black fought back ahead to a 20-19 score, thanks to four different Yellow Jackets who put kills in. Down the stretch, Hall, Osborne and Courtney tallied three consecutive kills, which set Osborne up for one final 25-22 set-winning kill.
Inside the Numbers vs. Wilkes
- RMC held clear advantages in kills (50-to-22), assists (48-to-21), digs (45-to-29) and service aces (11-to-seven).
- Randolph-Macon posted an outstanding .284 hitting percentage, compared to .134 from Wilkes.
- Jastrzemski led the way with 18 kills in the match, marking a new career-high.
- Smith tied Osbrone and Courtney with three aces in the match, while she also led all players with 42 assists.
- Wade and Caylor knotted for 11 digs each, while Caylor also added an ace and a block.
- Courtney and Kennedy McDowney (Odenton, Md./Arundel) were the only two players to record multiple blocks.
Up Next
The Yellow Jackets remain on the road for their first ODAC contest of the season on Wednesday, September 16. Randolph-Macon will face off against Randolph at 6:00 p.m. in Lynchburg, Va.
