LYNCHBURG, Va. – Spurred on by a rowdy student section, the Randolph WildCats women's volleyball team battled back from an early deficit in the fourth set to secure their first ODAC victory of the season over Hollins, 25-17, 20-25, 25-22, 25-20.
Trading early punches in the first set, the WildCats held a narrow 10-9 lead before Destanie Ambers exploded for seven kills over the next 10 points, propelling the 'Cats to the opening-set victory. In the second set, the visitors took advantage of Randolph miscues to even the match.
The third set saw the two sides trade points and leads, with Hollins holding a 9-8 advantage before the 'Cats came alive to push ahead 16-11. The visitors mounted a late push to retake the lead, but multiple Hollins attack errors, coupled with an Ambers ace and a kill from Nadia Warrior, helped the 'Cats pull ahead 2-1 in the match.
Hollins came out swinging in the fourth set, taking a quick 7-2 lead before the WildCats student section started to make some noise. A kill by Makayla Waiters sent the students into an uproar, and the rally was officially on. The 'Cats on the court and in the stands forced Hollins into multiple attack errors as Randolph clawed back to an 18-18 tie. The WildCats then took a late lead on a Carly Schopp service ace. Schopp bookended the scoring in the final stanza, finishing the comeback with a game-winning kill to secure the victory.
The 'Cats were paced by Ambers, who finished with 23 kills on the night. For good measure, she added a match-high 28 digs, while Schopp led all players with 31 assists. Warrior and Caroline Elliott added two blocks apiece, while the WildCats defense limited the Hollins offense to a hitting percentage below .180 in each of the four sets.
With the win, the Randolph record pays homage to Dolly Parton, sitting at 9-5 overall and 1-1 in ODAC play. The ladies return to the court Wednesday, Sept. 30, when they travel to Guilford. First serve is slated for 7 p.m. in Greensboro, N.C.
