HOT HITTING HELPS VOLLEYBALL TO SWEEP OF CHARLESTON SOUTHERN

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RADFORD, Va. – The Radford volleyball team hit .458 en route to its ninth sweep of the season as the Highlanders dispatched Charleston Southern (25-14, 25-16, 25-16) Saturday afternoon inside the Dedmon Center.

"This was one of our better offensive performances of the season," head coach Marci Jenkins said. "I am pleased with the way our team bounced back from last night's result to get the win today."

Rachel Wiechecki, who hit .406, directed the RU (16-8, 5-2 Big South) charge with 15 kills and 11 digs for her 30^th career double-double. Emma Deininger added 13 kills at a .462 attack clip.

Savannah Cantrell nailed a season-high eight kills at a .700 rate in addition to a match-high three blocks. Cheyanne James also added eight kills, while hitting .500 on the attack, to accompany her match-high 12 digs. Jena Braden (25) and Rachel Flores (15) combined for 40 assists.

Siraya Windsor guided the Buccaneers (5-17, 0-7 Big South) with her nine kills. Kirsten Struksnes chipped in 13 assists and Kayla Klinger added nine digs and two aces.

Tied at 3 in the first frame, Jesse Miedema hammered a kill to initiate a 6-1 run that prompted a CSU timeout. The Highlanders extended their lead to as many as 11, and eventually won by that margin as Deininger smacked a winner for the 25-14 triumph. Wiechecki and James had five and four kills, respectively.

Deininger exploded for seven kills in the second stanza to fuel Radford to the 25-16 win. Trailing 11-10, the hosts embarked on a 13-4 rally to surge ahead, 23-15. After a service error by the Highlanders, a CSU attack error and a Savanna Burton blast secured the 2-0 edge at intermission.

Radford exerted its offensive firepower even more in the third set as the Highlanders hit .567. Leading the way was Wiechecki, who crushed eight kills in the frame. RU erased an early 7-6 deficit when Deininger thrashed a Flores pass to ignite an 11-5 run. After the Bucs cut Radford's lead to 18-15, Wiechecki ripped a kill that engineered a 5-0 spurt to put the Highlanders on top, 23-15. Following a service error by RU, a Deininger dart and Wiechecki ace propelled the squad to the 25-16 victory.

With the win, Radford remains tied for first place in the Big South standings with Presbyterian College. Next comes an important trip to South Carolina where the Highlanders will battle Winthrop (Oct. 25) and the Blue Hose (Oct. 26) as they attempt to regain sole possession of the league lead.

Match Notes

- Deininger moved into eighth place in career kills with 600, passing former teammate Carly Fleming.
- Wiechecki climbed to sixth place in career digs with 790, passing Elizabeth Aldredge.
- With its 16^th victory, Radford already matches its win total from last season.
- The Highlanders' .458 attack percentage is the third-best mark in program history.

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