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ROCKY MOUNT, N.C. - The Randolph WildCats women's volleyball team went 2-0 on day one of the NC Wesleyan Invitational, defeating the Mount Aloysius Mounties 3-0 before sweeping the Mary Baldwin Fighting Squirrels in the second match of the tournament.

MATCH ONE (25-23, 25-7, 25-23)

Randolph battled through a tight opening set against Mount Aloysius before pulling away late. With the score tied at 22, a Mounties service error gave the WildCats the lead before Makayla Waiters followed with a kill. Carly Schoop closed out the set with an ace for a 25-23 victory.

The second set was much more decisive, as Randolph raced out to a 9-4 lead before holding Mount Aloysius to just seven points. The WildCats carried that momentum into the third, overcoming a late 19-17 deficit to finish off another 25-23 win.

Destanie Ambers led all WildCats with 16 kills while hitting .500. Waiters and Alyssa Thompson added seven kills apiece, while Schoop and Ava Berger recorded 14 and 12 assists, respectively. Randolph finished with 43 kills on 98 attacks for a .306 hitting percentage while holding the Mounties to .169.

MATCH TWO (25-11, 25-16, 25-13)

The WildCats controlled the match from the opening serve against Mary Baldwin, jumping out to a 9-2 lead in the first set before closing it out 25-11. Randolph continued to build separation in the second set, turning a 4-4 tie into an 11-4 advantage before taking the frame 25-16.

Mary Baldwin opened the third set with a 3-1 lead, but Randolph quickly responded. After tying the set at 4-4, the WildCats ripped off nine straight points to take control and never looked back, finishing the match with a 25-13 victory.

Waiters led Randolph with nine kills while hitting .571, while Kelsey Bowler added seven kills at a .429 clip and Ambers finished with seven. Schoop recorded 13 assists and Berger added eight. Kira Van Deusen led the team with ten digs in the match. The WildCats hit .341 as a team while holding Mary Baldwin to just .010 and recording nine total blocks.

The WildCats continue play in the NC Wesleyan Invitational on Saturday, Sept. 5, when they battle host NC Wesleyan at 1 p.m. The winner will advance to the championship match later in the day.