LYNCHBURG, Va. – In its first ODAC match of the season, Randolph-Macon saw three players record 10-or-more points en route to securing a win against Randolph.
Score: Randolph-Macon 3, Randolph 1 (25-19, 21-25, 25-16, 25-18)
Venue: Frances and Don Giles Gymnasium
Records: Randolph-Macon (5-1, 1-0 ODAC), Randolph (6-4, 0-1 ODAC)
How it Happened
- The Yellow Jackets began set one on a 6-3 run, which included a kill each from Mia Goode (Chesapeake, Va./Hickory) and Ella Courtney (Arlington, Va./Wakefield). While the WildCats evened the score as a result of a few RMC attack errors, Caitlin Smith (Greensboro, N.C./Greensboro Day School) found Olivia Roark (Charlotte, N.C./Charlotte Country Day School) and Avery Jastrzemski (Richmond, Va./Goochland) for kills to force a timeout from RC, with the road team ahead 13-9. Out of the break, the Lemon and Black extended their lead to 18-11, which forced yet another timeout from the WildCats. Smith launched a service ace to begin the 5-2 run and Olivia Leonard (Richmond, Va./The New Community School) followed with two kills before joining Roark for a rejection. The Yellow Jackets went on to take set one, 25-19, thanks to two kills from Leonard and one each from Smith and Goode.
- The home team found its momentum to begin set two, as RC forced an early timeout from RMC as a result of a 6-2 run. While Leonard and Jastrzemski each put kills in play, the WildCats extended the lead to 10-4, reaching the double-digit mark on a block. Smith located Leonard for a kill to earn the set's next point, which ignited a run for the Yellow Jackets, as four different players tallied kills to knot the set, 13-13. RC responded to the pressure well, as it used a service and three kills to regain a 22-19 edge. The Yellow Jacket comeback fell just short in set two, as kills from Roark and Jastrzemski rounded out a 21-25 score.
- Randolph-Macon applied early pressure in the third set, starting with a 6-0 spurt. Roark, Leonard and Goode all converted on kills from Smith and the same trio recorded kills again to extend the advantage to 11-4. RMC maintained a 15-10 lead at the media timeout, holding the five-point advantage on a service ace from Roark. Out of the timeout, the Yellow Jackets' lead ballooned to 19-12, forcing another timeout from RC. Goode let two kills fly and Leonard followed with a service ace to maintain the cushion. Goode rifled another kill to reach a 20-12 score, which helped her team cruise to a 25-16 bounce-back set three win. The road team used a service ace and kill from Goode, followed by kills from Sydney Wade (Powhatan, Va./Powhatan) and Allison Lach (Fredericksburg, Va./Riverbend).
- The programs traded kills to start set four, but three from Lach and a block from Roark helped RMC earn a 9-6 edge. Even though the WildCats used a kill to bring the set back within one, kills from Goode, Leonard and Smith helped to regain a 16-13 lead. Kills from Lach and Courtney were split by a service ace from Roark, resulting in a timeout from the home team with the Yellow Jackets ahead, 19-15. The momentum helped the Lemon and Black secure a win with a 25-18 set four score, as kills from Wade and Lach helped slam the door shut.
Inside the Numbers
- Randolph-Macon led Randolph in total attacks (164-to-131), kills (49-to-24) and service aces (eight-to-four) to power the offense.
- Defensively, RMC led 13-to-five in blocks.
- The Lemon and Black led .140-to-.053 in hitting percentage, while finishing with fewer reception errors (four-to-eight).
- Leonard led all players with 13 kills and also tied her season-high with three blocks. The freshman also added a career-high nine digs, good for fourth on the squad.
- Goode tied for a match-high two aces, while also contributing nine kills. She also compiled 14 digs, tying for the most on her team.
- Roark turned in a career-high five blocks to lead all players and tied her season-best with seven kills. She also led the Lemon and Black in hitting percentage (.357).
- Smith posted a match-high 37 assists to go along with her seven digs, three kills and two aces. The sophomore has now reached 25-or-more assists in each of her six matches played this season.
- Wade posted a career-high 14 digs across the game, while also adding an assist.
- Jastrzemski was the third player on the team to record double-digit digs (10), also marking a new career-high.
For the Record
- With the Yellow Jackets' victory against the WildCats, RMC now holds a 33-1 record all-time against RC, which includes 33 consecutive wins.
Up Next
Randolph-Macon heads to Mount Berry, Ga., where it will play three matches in two days. The first contest will be against #17 Emory on Friday, September 18 at 2:00 p.m.
