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Radford University Athletics

Home Of The RadFord Highlanders RadFord Highlanders
gonzalez
0
Hampton HAMPTON 6-9, 1-4 Big South
3
Winner Radford RAD 12-2, 4-1 Big South
Hampton HAMPTON
6-9, 1-4 Big South
0
Final
3
Radford RAD
12-2, 4-1 Big South
Winner
Set Scores
Team 1 2 3 F
Hampton HAMPTON 17 23 12 (0)
Radford RAD 25 25 25 (3)

Game Recap: Volleyball |

RADFORD SAILS PAST PIRATES IN 3-0 VICTORY


 
RADFORD, Va. – Four Highlanders recorded at least six kills each to lead the Radford volleyball team to a 3-0 (25-17, 25-23, 25-12) victory over Hampton at the Dedmon Center on Friday night.
 
Radford improves to 12-2 (4-1 BSC) on the year while Hampton falls to 6-9 (1-4 BSC) in their inaugural season as a member of the Big South Conference.
 
Senior Valerie Gonzalez led all players with 12 kills and junior teammate Mallory McKnight was just behind her with 11 of her own. The duo posted hitting percentages of .435 and .533 respectively to give a huge boost to the Highlanders' attack.
 
Junior Stephanie Neast and freshman Samantha Reitz gave Radford some balance, tallying six kills each. Senior Haley Kleespies continued her strong play with 32 assists while freshman Grace Green tied Gonzalez for the team lead in digs with eight.
 
Hampton was allowed just 26 kills, the second-fewest Radford has allowed this season. The Pirates' .084 hitting percentage and two services aces also ranked second-worst amongst all Radford opponents in 2018.
 
SET ONE
The Highlanders set the tone early, earning a 25-17 victory in the first set. The scoring went back-and-forth at the start as the points racked up toward a 6-6 tie. Radford took over from there, going on a 12-4 run that gave them complete control before taking the 1-0 lead. Kleespies accounted for two of Radford's game-high four service aces in the set and the Highlanders cruised to a win with a 15-to-7 advantage in kills.
 
SET TWO
Hampton refocused and came out a much stronger team in the second set. The Pirates battled to keep things even up through 9-9, but the Highlanders once again went on a run. A 7-1 surge rocketed Radford ahead, 16-10, before eventually taking a 20-14 lead. Just when it looked like Radford would cruise to another win, Hampton fought back to make it 24-23 in the final moments. Hampton finished the set with their best offensive output of 11 kills, but the final point went Radford's way thanks to a Pirate attack error.
 
SET THREE
It was a block party for the Highlanders in the third set and they capped off a solid night with a swift 25-12 victory. After going the first two sets without a single block, they got up for four in the final set. Radford limited itself to only three attack errors which led to a .444 hitting percentage. Redshirt freshman Gabby Morris even got in on the action, landing her only attack of the night for a kill that got the crowd fired up.
 
ACES!
Radford looked good on serves against the Pirates, tying its season high in aces with nine in the match. The only other match this year that the Highlanders have reached nine aces was on Sept. 7 against Penn.
 
HOME COURT ADVANTAGE
Friday night's victory marked the first win of the year in the Dedmon Center for Radford. The Highlanders have enjoyed a home court advantage in recent years, amassing a 19-2 record at home across 2016 and 2017.
 
UP NEXT
With Hampton in the rearview mirror, the Highlanders now turn their attention to Campbell. The Camels come to the Dedmon Center for a 4 p.m. match on Saturday, Oct. 6. Admission is free for all spectators.
 
FOLLOW RADFORD VOLLEYBALL ON SOCIAL MEDIA
For more information on the Radford volleyball team follow @RadfordVB on Twitter and Instagram or Radford Volleyball on Facebook.
 
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