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Mallory McKnight
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3
Winner Radford RAD 7-2
2
North Carolina A&T NCAT 2-7
Winner
Radford RAD
7-2
3
Final
2
North Carolina A&T NCAT
2-7
Set Scores
Team 1 2 3 4 5 F
Radford RAD 25 25 22 18 15 (3)
North Carolina A&T NCAT 18 17 25 25 10 (2)

Game Recap: Volleyball |

RADFORD HOLDS OFF NC A&T RALLY TO WIN IN FIVE



GREENSBORO, N.C. – Freshmen Mallory McKnight and Stephanie Neast combined for seven kills in the fifth set to help the Radford volleyball team stave off a North Carolina A&T comeback with a 15-10 win in the deciding game Saturday night in the finale of the Spartan-Aggie Invitational.
 
The Highlanders took the first two sets 25-18 and 25-17 before NC A&T rallied with 25-22 and 25-18 decisions to extend the match. In the deciding game, a kill by Neast tied the score at 6-6 and an attack error put Radford in front to stay. McKnight soon followed with four kills to push RU's advantage to 13-8 and Amaya Rousseau added kills for the final two points for Radford's second five-set win in as many matches this season. With the win, the Highlanders improved to 8-2.
 
Radford dropped the opening point of the match, but scored the next two and led the rest of the first game. Valerie Gonzalez led the way with four kills, while Taylor Bouras, Neast and Maddie Palmer each added three.
 
The Highlanders used a 10-1 spurt during the middle part of the second set to turn a three-point deficit into a 19-13 lead. Bouras had three kills, Palmer chipped in one and Haley Kleespies recorded five of the points, including two with aces. RU then finished off the game with four straight kills, including three by McKnight.
 
The third set was the tightest of the match and was deadlocked at 17-17 before NC A&T scored four straight points and held on from there. Radford got off to a good start in the fourth, taking a 4-0 lead, but the Aggies battled back to even it at 8-8, took the lead at 15-14 and pulled away to force the deciding set.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
  • Mallory McKnight tied her season-high with 11 kills, while Stephanie Neast had a career-best 10 and Taylor Bouras also set a new career high with eight.
  • Maddie Palmer posted her seventh double-double, leading the Highlanders with 15 kills and recording 12 digs.
  • Kaylor Nash totaled a team-high and season-best 17 digs, while Kelby Jackson added 14.
  • Haley Kleespies had her highest assist total of the year, dishing out 51 for her eighth career 50-plus outing. She also added seven digs and three aces.
  • Radford's 58 kills also were a season-high, two more than it had in the opener against Wake Forest.
  • The Highlanders hit over .400 in the first sets, dipped to .227 in the third and below .000 in the fourth, but bounced back for a .381 performance in the fifth game with 12 kills on 21 attacks. They finished at .237 for the match.
  • RU also had a 59-47 advantage in digs.
  • The Highlanders limited NC A&T to .158 hitting in the deciding set, the Aggies' second lowest percentage of the match.
  • Nash and Neast earned All-Tournament Team honors.
 
QUOTABLE
  • "The A&T environment was tough tonight and they had a good crowd. In the end, we held up but we have to learn how to put teams away when we have a chance. Great job by them putting us on our heels, but it really shouldn't come to that if we want to be apart of a championship team in November." ~ Radford head coach, Marci Jenkins
 
UP NEXT
  • Radford plays its final non-conference matches next Friday at the Hokie Invitational. The Highlanders will face Ohio at 11 a.m. before taking on host Virginia Tech at 3 p.m.
 
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