RADFORD PLACES FIVE IN DOUBLE-DIGIT KILLS AND DIGS IN BIG SOUTH WIN

Saturday, October 1

Asheville, N.C.

4:00 PM

Radford University

14-3, 5-0Big South

UNC Asheville

6-9, 0-4Big South

Team	1	2	3	4	Final F
Radford	25	25	25	25	3
UNC Asheville	16	27	17	20	1

Photo by: RUHighlanderPhotos.com

RADFORD PLACES FIVE IN DOUBLE-DIGIT KILLS AND DIGS IN BIG SOUTH WIN

10/1/2016 8:00:00 PM | Volleyball

Box Score

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MATCH INFORMATION

Score: Radford 3, UNC Asheville 1 (25-16, 25-27, 25-17, 25-20)
Records: Radford (14-3, 5-0 Big South) | UNC Asheville (6-9, 0-4 Big South)
Location: Kimmel Arena| | Asheville, N.C.

ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Radford saw five players finish with double-digit kills and five with double-digit digs as the Highlanders picked up their fifth straight Big South win with a 3-1 (25-16, 25-27, 25-17, 25-20) decision over UNC Asheville, Saturday afternoon.

Radford hit a blistering .571 with 17 kills on 28 attempts to open the first set. After UNC Asheville knotted the match at six, Radford went on a 6-1 run. Back-to-back kills from Amaya Rousseau and Maddie Palmer handed the Highlanders a 11-7 lead. Controlling the lead the rest of the way, Radford ended the opening set on a 12-6 run that saw two kills from Valerie Gonzalez and Stephanie Neast.

The second set saw the Highlanders build a 13-6 lead. Trailing by seven points, UNC Asheville went on a 9-2 run, knotting the match at 15 on an Ansley Rooks kill. The span saw five RU errors. The two squads would go on to trade points, before Radford took a 21-19 lead on a Rousseau kill.

UNC Asheville battled back again, taking a 24-22 lead on a Madison Vaughn kill and block with Kailey Hackett. Looking at match point, Radford settled down, rattling off three straight points. Kills from Sydney Tekstra and Neast aided the run to force a timeout. Cara Guthrie and Vaughn made the score 26-25 on back-to-back kills out of the timeout. Sheridan Salisbury finished off the match with an ace for the 27-25 victory.

Radford has proven this season that they are extremely tough to beat after the two-set break, but UNC Asheville carried its momentum over to the third set. The Highlanders could not gain a comfortable lead over the Bulldogs, until a Tekstra kill started a 10-4 run. Rousseau totaled three of the final five kills in the 25-17 third set win.

Only leading 7-6 in the fourth set, six straight points, including two kills by Gonzalez and Tekstra gave Radford a 13-6 edge. The Bulldogs attempted a comeback, but the RU attack was too much as the Highlanders finished with seven kills in their final 10 points for the 25-20 match clinching win. Of the seven kills, Palmer totaled three with Gonzalez and Tekstra collecting two.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

Radford improves to 13-0 when winning the opening set.
The Highlanders are currently on a five-match winning streak. They compiled a six-match winning streak earlier in the season.
The Highlanders placed a season-high five players in double-figure kills.
Radford finished with season-high 68 kills, totaling 129 kills in the last two matches.
Maddie Palmer led all players with a match-high 17 kills, while finishing with 11 digs, her 11^th double-double of the season.
Joining Palmer in double figures; Sydney Tekstra (14), Amaya Rousseau (13), Gonzalez (11) and Stephanie Neast (10).
The 14 kills are a season-high for Tekstra, while Gonzalez collected her second double-digit performance on the season.
Of the 68 kills, Haley Kleespies finished with 60 assists, her second 60-plus assist effort of her career, finishing one shy of matching a career high.
She also finished with a season-high 13 digs.
In addition to five in double-digit kills, Radford placed five in double-figure digs, a season high.
Joining Palmer and Kleespies in double-figures; Kelby Jackson (15), Kaylor Nash (14) and Emma Wroblicky (10).
Radford finished with a .310 attacking percentage, limiting to UNC Asheville to a .196 average.
Of Radford's nine blocks; Gonzalez, Rousseau and Neast assisted on four each.

QUOTABLE

"We got really nice performances from Sydney [Tekstra] and Valerie [Gonzalez] today offensively. They were able to shoulder some of the load, which helped us be able to beat a solid team on the road." ~ head coach Marci Jenkins

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