BOX SCORE

RADFORD, Va. – Freshman Emily Hayes (Bartlett, Ill./Bartlett) delivered 14 kills (.357), including four in the final game, leading Radford to a 3-2 (22-25, 25-5, 25-21, 23-25, 15-13) win over North Carolina Central in non-conference volleyball on Tuesday night at the Dedmon Center.

Fellow freshman Mariah Nussbaum (Dayton, Ohio/Chaminade Julienne) hit on 55 percent of her chances in a 12-kill performance, while first-year setter Desiree Aramburu (Chicago, Ill./Mother McAuley) added 46 assists, six kills, three service aces and 12 digs for her 11th double-double of the season.

Senior Lauren Clary (Roanoke, Va. / Cave Spring) also turned in a solid performance defensively for the Highlanders (11-12) picking up a match-high 18 digs.

Belinda Behncke-Biney led all players with her 15 kills for the Eagles (7-18), along with seven service aces. Shantel Moore chipped in with double figure kills, knocking down 12.

With the first game tied 9-9, N.C. Central went on a 10-3 run to pull away, extending the lead to as many as 20-12 on Behncke-Biney's back-to-back service aces. Radford trimmed the deficit to 23-22, but couldn't complete the rally. The Eagles finished the first game with five aces.

The Highlanders answered in convincing fashion in the second, winning 25-5. Radford scored the first four points, and with a 12-4 lead, closed the game on a 13-1 run. Aramburu and junior Laura Waddell (Lynchburg, Va./E.C. Glass) had three kills each, leading the Highlanders to a .524 game-two hitting percentage.

Waddell finished with eight kills.

Behind five kills from Hayes and four from Nussbaum, the Highlanders went on to a 25-21 win in the third game. After trailing by as many as four, Radford rallied and tied it at 17-17 on Waddell's ace, before taking an 18-17 lead. Nussbaum's kill capped a 5-0 run to give Radford a 21-17 lead, and a pair of kills from Hayes sealed the game.

After a 9-9 tie in the fourth, N.C. Central used a 7-1 run to break away from Radford and win 25-23. Behncke-Biney led the Eagles with her six connections and a pair of service aces, including her ace that opened up a six-point lead at 19-13.

Six ties and five lead changes marked the fifth game, and Hayes knocked down four kills on six tries to lead the Highlanders to a 15-13 win, and the match victory. Trailing 13-12 in the final frame, Radford closed with consecutive kills from Hayes and an Eagle error to improve to 5-2 in five-game matches this season.

Radford resumes Big South action on Friday night, hosting Presbyterian at 7 p.m.