For immediate release – 9/25/2015 - #045
SMC defeats WildCat Volleyball on Family Weekend

LYNCHBURG, VA – As Randolph College began its Family Weekend festivities, the Randolph College volleyball team hosted St. Mary's (Md.) College on Friday night.  The Capital Athletic Conference member defeated the hosts in three sets, 13-25, 25-27, and 16-25.

The first set went back and forth, as the WildCats scored three in a row early to take a 3-2 lead, which included a kill by Brittany Nicholson and an Autumn Troxell ace.  Both sides were then tied at four apiece after a kill by Alex Mariona, and the next several points were exchanged by each side.  After Noelle Wojciechowski and Troxell combined for a block, the 'Cats found themselves down one at 11-10.  But the Seahawks went on a large run and won the set.

Randolph came out strong in the second, going up 5-2, with Troxell and Mariona each notching kills.  After SMC made it close, the WildCats went on another small run, highlighted by an additional Mariona kill and one by Rebecca Lesnak.  Another period followed suit, before St. Mary's tied the score at 12-all.  Randolph scored four of the next six to take a two-point advantage, but it would get no larger than that.  The two teams exchanged several ties and leads throughout the remainder of the set, with SMC taking a late lead.  The WildCats then tied the score at 23, then at 24, and again at 25.  But the Seahawks scored the final two to win the second.

The Seahawks jumped out to a large lead early in the third, however the WildCats responded.  Down, nine, Randolph scored four in a row, with the last coming by way of a Troxell slam.  The 'Cats added four of the next five, with a kill from both Troxell and Wojciechowski.  Randolph would eventually cut the lead down to five, but SMC would allow the WildCats to get no closer, as they closed out the match.

Mariona had nine kills in the match, while Elisabeth Price recorded her fourth-straight game of double-figure digs (12).  Brooks Gillerlain also posted a stat-line in double-digits, assisting on 17 kills in the match.

Hannah Krauss and Alli Graf each had 11 kills for St. Mary's (7-5 overall).  Grace Chao recorded a game-high 20 assists.

The WildCats (2-13) will be back at home this Wednesday.  After two nonconference matches, the 'Cats take on Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) foe Emory & Henry College at 7 p.m.

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