LYNCHBURG, VA – The Randolph College volleyball team built a two games to one lead over visiting Guilford College but couldn't hold on as the Quakers stormed back to earn a five-set Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) victory over the WildCats Wednesday evening from the Randolph Athletics and Dance (RAD) Center.

                The WildCats (2-12/0-4 ODAC) lost in by five with scores of 25-17, 16-25, 21-25, 25-23 and 15-9. In the first set, Randolph fell behind early and couldn't rebound, as the Quakers got four kills from Kelsey Ruehling in taking the opening set. Randolph knotted the match at a game apiece as Celine Rhodes (Barhamsville, VA/Jamestown) and Jordan Templin (Ferrum, VA/Franklin Co.) each tallied five kills in the second set.

                In the third stanza, Randolph led most of the game by at least two, building as much as a seven-point lead before taking a 2-1 match advantage. Templin and Rhodes again did the heavy lifting offensively for the 'Cats, as the two combined for eight kills in the period. Sophomore Lexi Harrington (Clemmons, NC/West Forsyth) had five digs to pace Randolph in the third set.

                The fourth set was a back-and-forth battle, as Guilford took an early 11-6 lead. The WildCats came back going on a 7-2 run to even the game at 13 all. Randolph continued to score, but GC came back to tie the game at 18 on a successful attack from Brittany DeCesare. The Quakers and WildCats traded blows until the game settled at 22-22. After a kill from Grayce Darden (Martinsville, VA/Martinsville), the Quakers would score the next three points, two coming from Ruehling to tie the match at two games.

                In the deciding fifth set, Randolph fell behind early but hustled to get the game back to 8-6 at the changeover. Four straight points from the visiting Quakers pushed them to a six-point lead and to victory, as they earned their second ODAC win of the season.

                Rhodes finished with a career-high 17 kills to lead all game hitters, while Templin chalked up another double-double of 12 kills and 18 digs. The double-double was her fifth in the last sixth matches. Darden tallied 10 kills for Randolph, while Kerry McMichael (Westminster, SC/West Oak) dished out 23 assists. Harrington had a game-high 20 digs to lead Randolph.

                Guilford had three scorers in double-digit kills, led by Ruehling and her 14 successful attacks. DeCesare had 12 kills, and Malikah French added 10 in the match. Taylor Whitley had a game-best of 28 assists. Randolph posted one of its better hitting percentages of the season at .269, but 16 service errors doomed the 'Cats. Randolph also set a season-high for blocks with 13, led by the seven total rejections from senior Sam Sublett (Bedford, VA/Staunton River).

                Randolph will look to break its nine-game losing streak on Saturday at 2 p.m. in the RAD Center as the Monarchs of Methodist University come calling in non-conference play.

--RANDOLPH--