For immediate release – 10/23/2015 - #087
WildCats Win Thrilling Comeback on Senior Night

LYNCHBURG, VA – After going down two sets on Senior Night, the Randolph College volleyball team rallied and responded to send its seniors off with a 3-2 win over Guilford College on Friday.  Elisabeth Price, Noelle Wojciechowski, Cassie Maddox, Andrea Mewhinney, and Katie Brown were all honored before the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) contest, and all came up big in the 21-25, 20-25, 25-9, 25-17, and 15-11 victory.

The first set saw the Quakers build an early five-point lead that eventually was cut to one.  However, GC went on another run to extend the advantage to nine.  The WildCats made a late push, but Guilford closed out the set.

Randolph answered with five straight to start the second, including kills by Alex Mariona and Autumn Troxell, and continued to build, pushing the lead to 10-4.  But GC responded with a run to take a commanding lead and eventually the set.

While the 'Cats seemed down, they were certainly not out and responded with one of their best sets of the year.  Troxell slammed home a kill to start it off, as Randolph jumped out to a 4-0 advantage following a Rebecca Lesnak kill.  The Quakers scored the next point, but Wojciechowski fired home a Brooks Gillerlain pass to start off a large rally.  Wojciechowski served nine straight times, with the WildCats scoring on the first eight.  She had three aces, Mariona had a kill and added an assisted block with Jasmine Tapscott.  Guilford scored three straight, but Randolph capitalized on two GC errors to take a 15-4 lead, and then the teams exchanged points until 19-8.  Following another Quaker error, the 'Cats ripped off five of the last six to win it.  Brown served an ace, Lesnak registered two kills, while Mariona and Wojciechowski each had one in the final run.

The fourth game started out the same as the third, as Randolph scored seven in a row, with Mariona, Troxell, and Wojciechowski joining in on the fun.  But Guilford fought back and cut the deficit to three.  However, another error sent the 'Cats on another run, scoring eight straight.  Mariona served two aces and Lesnak slammed home three in the run.  GC continued to make it interesting, tallying six of the next seven points, but Randolph would not be denied.  Troxell had a kill and Price served an ace in a span of three straight.  Guilford cut it to 22-15, but the teams exchanged points until the WildCats won the set.

The final set provided the most excitement of the night.  The Quakers scored four of the first five points in the set before the WildCats called a well-timed timeout.  While Guilford scored the next point, Randolph responded, sending the raucous Homecoming crowd to its feet.  Mariona started it off with a kill, before GC had two attacking errors.  Then Mariona and Lesnak pinpointed Gillerlain passes as the WildCats took a 6-5 lead.  Following several errors by both teams with more coming from the visitors, the 'Cats stretched the advantage to 11-7.  The Quakers used both timeouts to stop the run, but it did not work as Mewhinney assisted on a Tapscott kill.  Another Guilford error put the score at 13-7, but the following serve went in the net to give GC life.  Troxell then helped erase it with a kill of her own, to put the score at match point.  The Quakers scored three in a row, before Wojciechowski ended the match with a slam.

Lesnak had a career-high 14 kills, with Mariona adding 13 and 12 digs for a double-double.  Wojciechowski picked up eight kills (only one error) and eight digs, along with two blocks.  Price led the defensive effort with 15 digs, as Brown added 11, and Maddox scooped up seven of her own.  Finally, the setter duties, as has happened of late, were shared the whole match between Mewhinney and Gillerlain.  Each were in double-figures, as Gillerlain assisted on 22 and Mewhinney notched 14.

Kelsey Ruehling added a game-high 17 kills for the Quakers (5-16 overall, 2-8 ODAC).

The WildCats (7-19, 3-7) play one final regular-season match.  Randolph travels across town on Wednesday to Lynchburg College for an important ODAC match that will decide the final tournament berth.  The match begins at 7 p.m.

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