For immediate release – 10/17/2015 - #080
Mariona and Troxell Carry WildCats to 3-1 Victory over Hollins

HOLLINS, VA – Alex Mariona and Autumn Troxell each recorded 15 kills as the Randolph College volleyball team defeated Hollins University 3-1 on Saturday.  The WildCats won the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) matchup 25-16, 25-23, 19-25, and 25-22.

Randolph dominated the early goings of the first set, winning seven of the first eight, as Mariona, Troxell, Jasmine Tapscott and Rebecca Lesnak each tallied kills.  The WildCats continued to open up the lead, going up 16-6 halfway through the set.  The 'Cats kept on the pressure and extended the lead to 24-12 with game point on the line.  HU scored four straight, but Randolph would not let them get any closer as Lesnak killed a pass from Andrea Mewhinney.

The second set proved to be more of a battle than the first, as the two teams found themselves tied early on.  After Troxell put the WildCats up one at 7-6, finishing a pass from Brooks Gillerlain, Hollins scored five straight.  But the 'Cats came right back, with two kills from Troxell and one by Gillerlain to bring Randolph within one.  After trading points, the WildCats tied the score again at 14-all, before HU went on another small run.   The score was knotted at 17, after Mariona notched a kill and an ace.  The exchange of points would continue until 22-22.  Lesnak served an ace, and following a Hollins point, Mariona slammed home a kill for the set.

The third set saw HU jump out to a quick 10-3 lead, which it did not relinquish the entire set on the way to bringing Hollins back within one.  However, following the disappointment of that set, the WildCats answered strongly in the fourth.  The 'Cats took an early two-point lead at 8-6, which Hollins soon erased.  But Randolph then opened it up once again to 13-10 after a kill by Tapscott.  HU stormed back, tying the score at 13.  Just as in the second, the teams went back and forth with no lead larger than two.  Troxell tied the score at 18, and Brittany Nicholson served an ace, before Hollins had two errors.  HU scored two in a row, but Randolph ended with four of the last six, including kills by Troxell, Lesnak, and the winner by Mariona, for a 3-1 victory.

Lesnak added 10 kills to the offense, and Elisabeth Price had another strong defensive showing, with 19 digs.  Gillerlain and Mewhinney split the setter duties, assisting on 30 and 14 kills respectively.  Lela Moore had a game-high 34 assists for Hollins (3-17 overall, 0-8 ODAC).

Randolph (5-19, 1-7) returns home for two games next week.  The first comes on Wednesday as the WildCats take on Bridgewater College at 7 p.m.

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