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CHARLESTON, S.C. – Radford Volleyball's season came to end on Sunday as they dropped a hard fought Big South Championship match to top-seeded Liberty, 3-0 (25-20, 25-23, 25-22) from the CSU Fieldhouse on the campus of Charleston Southern University.

Freshman Rachel Wiechecki (Wilmington, Del./Ursuline Academy) led the Highlanders (17-15) with 10 kills, six digs and three block assists, while freshman Rachel Brummitt (Plano, Texas/Plano West) recorded a match-best 24 digs, including 14 in the final set. For their efforts this weekend, the duo was named to the all-tournament team.

“We played hard,” said Big South Coach of the Year Marci Jenkins. “Liberty earned it today. A few points here and there and it could have been a different game. I am so proud of these kids. They fought all year and didn't give up.”

Freshman Emma Deininger (Wallingford, Pa./Strath Haven) and sophomore Jesse Miedema (Huron, Ohio/Huron) added eight and seven kills apiece for the Highlanders. Deininger also recorded a match-high six block assists.

Radford, playing in its first championship since 2001, put forth a strong effort, but could not overcome late runs in each game by the Lady Flames (20-12).

Freshman Christine Beckham (Ashburn, Va./Stone Bridge) dished out 21 assists and sophomore Emily Carlin (Downington, Pa./Bishop Shanahan) posted 16 digs and six kills. Junior Emily Hayes (Bartlett, Ill./Bartlett) closed out a strong tournament with six kills (.333) and four digs.

“We hung in there from the start of the season all the way to the end,” commented Jenkins. “Chris (Hertel) was a tremendous addition to the RU Volleyball family. We had a great year. It was a tough way to lose, but there is a lot Radford Volleyball has to look forward too.”

Tournament MVP Loren Thomas charted a match-high 11 kills with Lillie Happell adding 10 kills. Kelly Haseman recorded a team-best 19 digs and setter Jade Craycraft recorded a match-high 26 assists and also recorded 10 digs.

Courtesy of a 5-1 run and four blocks, Liberty grabbed an early 11-7 lead in the opening set. The Highlanders bounced back with a 6-2 run to tie it up at 13-all. After the Lady Flames pushed across two points, the Highlanders scored three straight to grab a 16-15 advantage on three straight kills by Wiechecki, Miedema and Deininger. However, Liberty closed out the set with an 8-2 spurt, the final point coming on its fifth block of the set, to take the early 1-0 lead.

Keyed by a 4-0 spurt midway through the set, Liberty went on to take a 2-0 advantage with a 25-23 triumph. The Highlanders took a 16-11 lead behind an 11-5 run that saw the Highlanders register six kills and two blocks. With Radford holding an 18-14 advantage, Liberty tallied four straight to even the match for the first time since 6-6. The Highlanders went ahead 22-21 when Carly Fleming (Manassas, Va./Osbourne Park) found the floor, but the Lady Flames scored four of the final five points for the second-set victory.

Radford tried to rally late in game three, but a five-point deficit was too much to come back from as it fell 25-22 in game three. The Lady Flames broke a 17-17 deadlock with a 5-0 run. The Highlanders staved off two match points on a kill by Miedema and a big block from Miedema and Deininger, but Thomas sealed the win with her final kill of the match.