ASHLAND, Va.- The Randolph men's volleyball team played a pair of matches on Saturday afternoon. The WildCats faced host Randolph-Macon and Tusculum. Randolph fell to the Yellow Jackets 3-0 and to the Pioneers 3-2.
In the first match, Randolph-Macon got out to a 7-2 lead and was ahead 13-6. The WildCats clawed their way back as they closed to within three points at 20-17. The Yellow Jackets outscored the 'Cats 5-3 to win the set 25-20.
The WildCats notched the first point of the second set but Randolph-Macon pulled ahead 4-1. Randolph came back to only trail by one point at 13-12. The Yellow Jackets then went on a 6-0 run to lead 19-12. Randolph tried to edge its way back but Randolph-Macon was too much in the end as they won the set 25-18.
In the third set, it was 6-5 Yellow Jackets until Randolph-Macon ripped off a 7-0 run to increase its lead to 13-5. The WildCats came back to pull to within five points at 17-12. It was still a four-point deficit at 23-19 and 24-20 but the Jackets got the last point they needed to take the set and the match.
Ahmed Diallo (Aurora, Colo./Overland HS) led the WildCats with 10 kills. Ian Arce (Sneads Ferry, N.C./Dixon HS) totaled 13 assists. Shamel Smith (Tamarac, Fla.) had a team-high nine digs.
Against the Pioneers, the WildCats got out to a 9-3 lead. Tusculum closed to within two points at 15-13 but kills by Noah May (Westerville, OH/Thomas Worthington HS) and Smith pushed the 'Cats ahead 17-13. Randolph led 21-18 but the Pioneers used a 4-0 run to go ahead 22-21. The two teams would exchange points and the score was tied at 25-25. Tusculum got the last two points it needed to claim the set 27-25.
Randolph led 6-1 in the second set. The WildCats would lead wire-to-wire in the frame as their 25-20 win knotted the match at 1-1.
The WildCats were ahead 7-4 and then 10-9 in the third set. Tusculum fought back to go up 14-13 but the 'Cats grabbed the lead away at 18-16. The score changed hands once again to the Pioneer's favor at 21-19. Trailing 23-21, Randolph ended the set on a 6-2 run to come away with a 27-25 win.
The fourth set saw Tusculum lead 3-0 out of the gate and then go on to go ahead 9-2. Its lead stood at 16-9 until the WildCats went on an 8-3 run to make it 19-17. Tusculum's 6-3 run in the end gave it a 25-20 win to force a deciding fifth set.
In the final frame, Randolph had leads of 6-5 and 8-7. The Pioneers finished with an 8-4 run to close out the set 15-12 and win the match.
Smith led the WildCats with 19 kills. Diallo added 17 kills and hit .419. Halvard Hauge (Rolsvoy, Norway/Frederick II VGS) finished with 10 kills. Conner Maher (Buckeye, Ariz./Odyssey Institute) totaled 45 assists and nine digs. Samuel Looney (Fort Worth, Texas/Trinity Valley HS) had a team-high 13 digs.
The WildCats are idle until next Saturday when its hosts the University of Lynchburg and Regent. Match times are at 2:00 and 6:00 p.m.
