LYNCHBURG, Va.- the Randolph volleyball team hosted its second straight tri-match on Thursday evening as it welcomed Emory and Henry and Virginia Wesleyan to Giles Gymnasium. The Wasps and WildCats went five sets in the first match with E&H edging out the 'Cats 3-2. The Marlins won the nightcap 3-1.
Against the Wasps, Randolph fell behind early on in the first set and had to play catch up. Trailing 11-9, three straight points put them ahead 12-11. E&H then took the lead back to go ahead 13-12. The WildCats trailed 20-10 but the Wasps finished the set on a 5-0 run to win the set 25-19.
Emory and Henry led in the second set 10-6 and 11-7. The WildCats slowly chipped away at the lead tying it up at 18-18. With the set tied at 20-20, Randolph went on 5-1 run to end the set and win 25-21.
In the third set, Randolph went ahead early with a lead of 11-6. The lead became 14-10 but the Wasps grabbed the lead with a 5-0 run. Randolph went up 24-18 and looked to close out E&H but the Wasps rattled off seven straight points to go up 25-24 and come one point from taking the set. Undeterred, the 'Cats finished off the Wasps with a 3-0 min-run to win 27-25.
The WildCats had a two-point advantage at 15-13 but Emory and Henry used a 10-3 run to jump ahead 23-18. The WildCats closed to 23-21 but the Wasps scored the last two points to win 25-21 and force a deciding fifth set.
In the fifth set, The WildCats led at one point 4-3 but three straight errors on Randolph gave the visitors three points. The 'Cats tied at 7-7 but three points on E&H put them on top 10-7. Randolph rallied to knot the set at 10-10. Emory and Henry closed out the WildCats with a 5-2 run to win the set and match.
Mackenize Ambrose (Floyd ,Va./Floyd County) had a career-best 24 digs to lead the team and added 11 kills. Meghan Chaffins (Temperanceville, Va./Holly Grove Christian) also finished with 11 kills. Emily Barcenas (Lawrenceville, Ga./Lanier) and Melody Washington (Fredericksburg, Va./Chancellor) both had double-double efforts with 16 assists and 15 digs for Barcenas and 20 assists and 12 digs for Washington. Both also had three service aces each. Kenleigh Gunter (Troutville, Va./Lord Botetourt) had 16 digs with Lindsey Taylor (Virginia Beach, Va./Salem) adding 14.
In the third match of the day against VWU, the Marlins led 7-3 before Randolph closed to 7-6. An 11-10 Marlin led soon became 16-10 and then 18-11. Virginia Wesleyan used a 7-2 run to win the set 25-14.
The WildCats were ahead 16-12 in the second set and were up by as much as 20-13. With a 24-19 lead, the 'Cats needed a point to win the set but the Marlins came storming back with a furious 6-0 run to suddenly go up 25-24. The WildCats did not wilt as back-to-back kills by Ambrose and an attack error on the Marlins gave Randolph a 27-25 set win and tied the match at 1-1.
Randolph got behind 6-2 in the fourth set and could never recover as Virginia Wesleyan went up 14-5 on its way to a 25-14 set victory.
The fourth set was back and forth early on but the Marlins broke through and went up by as much as 14-5. Randolph could not counter the Virginia Wesleyan offense as the Marlins went on to win the set 25-14 and take the match.
Ambrose led in kills with 12 and added nine digs. Washington led in digs with 17 and contributed 13 assists. Taylor put up 16 digs. Barcenas led in assists with 15 and chipped in 11 digs.
Randolph's next scheduled match at Ferrum has been postponed. The WildCats will next host Roanoke on April 15. Match time is at 7:00 p.m.
