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2
Wake Forest WF 0-1
3
Winner Radford RAD 1-0
Wake Forest WF
0-1
2
Final
3
Radford RAD
1-0
Winner
Set Scores
Team 1 2 3 4 5 F
Wake Forest WF 25 25 21 15 9 (2)
Radford RAD 13 21 25 25 15 (3)

Game Recap: Volleyball |

PALMER'S 24 KILLS LEAD RADFORD TO COMEBACK WIN OVER WAKE FOREST



MATCH INFORMATION
  • Score: Radford 3, Wake Forest 2 (13-25, 21-25, 25-21, 25-15, 15-9)
  • Records: Radford (1-0) | Wake Forest (0-1)
  • Location: Dedmon Center | Radford, Va.

RADFORD, Va. – Radford stormed back to win three straight sets, highlighted by a 24-kill performance from Maddie Palmer in the Highlanders season opening win over Wake Forest, Friday afternoon in the opening match of Highlander Invitational inside the Dedmon Center.

Down two sets, Radford stormed out of the intermission to take a 17-11 lead in the third set as the Highlanders rattled off seven straight points. The seven-point run saw three kills and two blocks.

Wake Forest strung together a run of their own, knotting the match at 17. The Highlanders regained composure as Valerie Gonzalez and Mallory McKnight gave RU a 25-21 win on two kills each in the final five points of the set.

The Highlanders continued the hot stretch, jumping out to a 7-1 commanding lead to start the fourth set.

Looking to end the RU run, Caroline Rassenfoss completed back-to-back kills, cuttting the RU lead to 12-10. Wake Forest would go on to commit five attacking errors in the Highlanders final 11 points.

The fourth set saw Radford string together its best attacking performance, finishing with 15 kills in 21 attempts for a .619 attacking percentage. Palmer collected six of her career-high matching 24 kills in the crucial fourth set.

After forcing the deciding fifth set, Radford watched the Demon Deacons jump out to an early 6-2 lead on four kills from Kylie Long. With their backs against the wall, the Highlanders called a timeout. Coming out of the timeout, Wake Forest increased the Radford deficit to 8-3.

Wake Forest committed four straight errors, giving the Highlanders new life as they only trailed by one point. Following a McKnight kill, Kelby Jackson took the ball to serve and she never gave it up as Radford scored seven straight points to take a 15-9 fifth set victory in the three-set comeback.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
  • Radford improves to 3-2 over Wake Forest in the friendly confines of the Dedmon Center.
  • Maddie Palmer picked up 15 of her 24 kills in the final three sets.
  • She now has 37 double-digit kill matches in her career.
  • Palmer has set and matched a career-high of 24 kills in the last two season openers.
  • Valerie Gonzalez followed with nine kills, assisting on four blocks.
  • Amaya Rousseau finished with eight kills and assisted on a match-high eight blocks, giving her 12 points.
  • In her first collegiate match, Sydney Tekstra finished with eight kills for a .333 attacking percentage.
  • Haley Kleespies finished with 45 assists, giving her 25 career matches of 40-plus assists.
  • Kaylor Nash collected a game-high 12 digs.
  • Wake Forest was led by a 19-kill performance from Kylie Long and a 16-kill performance by Caroline Rassenfoss. The duo combined for 35 of the Demon Deacons' 54 kills.
  • The Demon Deacons committed nine errors in the fifth set.

QUOTABLE
  • "We made some minor adjustments between sets two and three, which we really responded well to. Our younger kids showed a lot of fight during that stretch. Any time you can get a win versus a Power Five opponent, especially to start the season is a good thing. This win is good for our program and the Big South. We have to continue to improve and get better. We want to be in the hunt for a championship and this is a great start." ~ Radford head coach Marci Jenkins
 
UP NEXT
  • Radford hosts a pair of matches Saturday inside the Dedmon Center. The Highlanders will host in-state foe Norfolk State at 3 p.m. and St. Francis (N.Y.) at 6 p.m.

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