WINCHESTER, VA – Randolph College twice came back from being down a game and led by four points late in the fifth set but couldn't hold on as the Hornets of Shenandoah University handed the WildCat volleyball team a heartbreaking five-set loss Friday evening in Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) action. Randolph lost by scores of 25-19, 17-25, 25-16, 8-25 and 16-14.

                The WildCats dropped the first set 25-19, but the visitors were in the game for the early going. After a kill from Sydney Henson (Winston-Salem, NC/Ronald Reagan) made the score 14-14, the Hornets would tally six of the game's next seven points, cruising to the set win.

                Randolph rebounded nicely, earning a decisive 25-17 win in the second game. With the stanza tied at seven, Randolph went on an 8-1 run, highlighted by a Sam Sublett (Bedford, VA/Staunton River) block and kill. The WildCats would coast to the victory, as first-year Celine Rhodes (Barhamsville, VA/Jamestown) had four kills in the set.

                In the third set, Shenandoah forged a 2-1 match lead after earning a 25-16 win. The WildCats weren't done though, taking the fourth set by a comfortable 25-8 margin. The final set was full of drama, as the team's raced to 15. Randolph and Shenandoah exchanged points over the first four serves, but Randolph got the upper hand with three straight decisions to make the score 6-4.

                Continuing the see-saw affair, the Hornets battled back to tie the game at six before the teams again exchanged service errors. SU got an ace from Haley Smith to make the fifth set 8-7 at the side change. Randolph quickly evened the game at eight on a kill from Sublett, and re-took the lead at 9-8 on an attack error from Shenandoah.

                A huge solo block from Rhodes on the next point gave Randolph another two-point edge at 10-8. Following a timeout by the hosts, Rhodes made the lead three with another kill, and after a point from SU, sophomore Jordan Templin (Ferrum, VA/Franklin Co.) chalked up a successful attack to make the game 12-9.

                First-year Marissa McClinton (Bealeton, VA/Liberty-Bealeton) earned her fourth kill of the game to make the score 13-9, forcing the Hornets to take their second timeout. SU rallied though, scoring four straight points to tie the game at 13. Rhodes answered with a kill to make the game 14-13 in favor of Randolph, but again Shenandoah rallied to score the game's next three points and earn the 16-14 victory.

                Templin finished with a team-leading 13 kills for the WildCats, as she posted her second straight double-double with 16 digs as well. Rhodes added 11 kills, four aces and four blocks for Randolph, while sophomore setting Kerry McMichael (Westminster, SC/West Oak) had 21 assists. Sublett had a huge game at the net, posted nine blocks including eight assisted rejections.

                The WildCats will be back in action tomorrow afternoon in a tri-match against Washington and Lee University and Averett University starting at 11 a.m. in Lexington, VA.

--RANDOLPH--