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Palmer-20161007
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0
Winthrop WINTHROP 8-11, 0-4 BSC
3
Winner Radford RAD 15-3, 6-0 BSC
Winthrop WINTHROP
8-11, 0-4 BSC
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Final
3
Radford RAD
15-3, 6-0 BSC
Winner
Set Scores
Team 1 2 3 F
Winthrop WINTHROP 22 26 24 (0)
Radford RAD 25 28 26 (3)

Game Recap: Volleyball |

RADFORD'S WINNING STREAK AT SIX WITH SWEEP OF WINTHROP



MATCH INFORMATION
  • Score: Radford 3, Winthrop 0 (25-22, 28-26, 26-24)
  • Records: Radford (15-3, 5-0 Big South) | Winthrop (8-11, 0-4 Big South)
  • Location: Dedmon Center | Radford, Va.  

RADFORD, Va. – Maddie Palmer turned in one of her best performances on the season as Radford collected its six straight win on its 10th sweep of the season in a 3-0 (25-22, 28-26, 26-24) decision over Winthrop.
 
Palmer totaled 28 of Radford's 64 points in the match; finishing with 23 kills, three service aces and three blocks.
 
Trailing 9-8 in the opening set, Radford used a 6-0 run to command a 14-9 lead. The run was started by a Palmer kill, followed by an Amaya Rousseau and Haley Kleespies block, in addition to two straight Rousseau kills.
 
The Eagles battled back using three consecutive RU errors, forcing a timeout after regaining an 18-17 lead. Radford collected their composure, holding on for a 25-22 win, aided by two kills each by Mallory McKnight and Palmer.
 
In the second set, thanks to strong back line play by the duo of Kelby Jackson and Kaylor Nash, Radford built another stable lead. Defense by Jackson and Nash allowed Radford to take a 13-6 lead, fending off several Winthrop attacks.
 
Once again, Winthrop made another run, this time with nine straight points to take a 17-15 lead. Brianna Gray contributed three kills during the Eagles' run.
 
Neither team could gain a comfortable lead, exchanging points until Palmer went back-to-back-to-back on kills and collected an ace to give Radford a 26-25 lead. The Highlanders eventually came out on top, 28-26, after two Winthrop errors.
 
Coming into the match with 1,449 digs, Jackson needed 13 digs to move into sole possession of second all-time in Radford history during the rally scoring era.  Jackson collected eight digs in the first two sets, needing only five to inch closer to becoming the all-time leader.
 
Jackson picked up her 12th dig midway through the third set, keeping alive a Kelsey Schroll attack. The dig set up a Rousseau kill, giving Radford 17-14 lead. Jackson finished with 12 digs, tying Rachel Wiechecki with 1,461 digs.
 
Winthrop strung together another run, taking a 23-22 lead on an 8-3 run that saw Gray contribute three more kills. Radford held off Winthrop one more time as two consecutive kills by Palmer handed the Highlanders a 25-24 lead. Palmer and Rousseau sealed the 10th sweep of the season with Radford's fifth block of the match for a 26-24 victory.
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
  • Radford improves to 14-0 when winning the opening set.
  • The Highlanders have won six matches in a row. Their longest run of victories before that was the 10-match streak that carried over into the Big South Tournament in 2014.
  • With the win, Radford has surpassed its win total from the 2015 season as 15-3 start is the program's best since it began the 2000 campaign 17-3.
  • Maddie Palmer's 23 kills are the most since the opening match of the 2016 on Aug. 26. Palmer now has six 20-kill matches in her career. She now has 267 kills on the year.
  • Palmer's 28 points are a season-high.
  • Of Radford's 49 kills in the match, 21 came in the third set, highlighted by 10 from Palmer.
  • Winthrop edged Radford .324 to .270 in hitting percentage, aided by a blistering .472 in the final set.
  • The Highlanders compiled 10 aces with Haley Kleespies and Palmer leading the way with three. Kelby Jackson and Amaya Rousseau contributed two each.
  • Kleespies collected her seventh 40-assist match of the season and 24th career, finishing with 41 assists.
 
QUOTABLE
  • "Winthrop did a really nice job tonight. Offensively, they stayed in system and they made it really tough for us to be able to win tonight. Hopefully this is a good lesson learned for us, but Winthrop is definitely going to be a formidable opponent moving forward, as is every Big South team. Obviously we're happy with the win, but hopefully tomorrow we can find a way to play just a little bit better." ~ head coach Marci Jenkins
 
UP NEXT
  • Radford returns to action on Saturday, hosting Gardner-Webb in a 4 p.m. matchup.
  • The game will serve as the Highlanders' Dig Pink match.

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