Box Score

RADFORD, Va. – Behind four players in double-digit kills and two with double-doubles, Radford rallied for a 3-2 (19-25, 31-29, 21-25, 25-16, 15-23) win over USC Upstate to open play at the RU Fall Tournament and earn its first victory of 2011, Friday evening from the Dedmon Center.

The Highlanders (1-3) trailed 2-1 and forced their third five-game match of the season with a convincing 25-16 victory in game four. The fourth set saw Radford hit .355 and use a 14-5 run to erase an early deficit.

The momentum carried into the deciding set as Radford raced out to a 8-2 lead and led 13-7 before The Spartans (1-3) made it interesting. Upstate mounted a big comeback with a 6-1 run to cut the Highlanders' advantage to 14-13. However, junior Emily Hayes (Bartlett, Ill./Bartlett) found the floor to clinch the five-set victory.

Senior Megan McWhorter (Newport News, Va./Peninsula Catholic) recorded her second double-double of the season with 12 kills and 13 digs and freshman Jena Braden (New Knoxville, Va./New Knoxville) registered the first of her career with a team-high 33 assists and 11 digs.

Also joining McWhorter in double-figure kills was freshman Emma Deininger (Wallingford, Pa./Strath Haven) with a team-best 13 as well as freshman Rachel Wiechecki (Wilmington, Del./Ursuline Academy) with 12.

USC Upstate's 7-2 run midway through the first game broke an 11-11 deadlock and gave the Spartans an early 1-0 advantage.  The Highlanders jumped out to a 7-4 lead after back-to-kills by Rachel Fertitta (Roanoke, Va./Northside) and Deininger only to see the Spartans rattle off five straight for a 9-7 advantage.

With the set deadlocked at 11-11, the Spartans, who hit .270, forged ahead 18-13 forcing a Highlander timeout. They  maintained at least a four-point advantage the rest of the way to earn a 25-19 win.

The Highlanders used a late rally and won a marathon game two, 31-29 to even things up at 1-apiece. Trailing 23-19, Radford used a 5-1 and staved off three matches points to knot the contest at 24. After the teams traded points to find themselves tied at 29-29, a Megan McWhorter ace and a Wiechecki kill secured the game two win.

After Radford rallied to tie the third game at 17-apiece, Upstate strung together six straight and took a 2-1 lead with a 25-21 triumph in game three.

Mindy Quimby paced Upstate with a game-high 18 kills and 16 digs. Emily Sanders and Kayla McAvoy also recorded double-doubles. Sanders dished out a match-high 55 assists with 16 digs, while McAvoy dug it 11 times and hit the floor for 10 kills.

Radford closes out its fall tournament with contests against Chicago State and UMKC at 3 and 7 p.m., respectively.