IT'S CHAMPIONSHIP SUNDAY! VOLLEYBALL SEEKS SECOND STRAIGHT BIG SOUTH TITLE

Championship Match Game Notes

SETTING THE STAGE
BIG SOUTH CHAMPIONSHIP: Sunday, November 18
OPPONENT: No. 1 HIGH POINT
WHERE: Asheville, NC (UNCA, Justice Center)
TIME: 4:00 p.m.
WATCH
LIVE STATS

HIGHLANDERS SWEEP WINTHROP IN SEMIFINALS
The No. 2 seeded Radford women's volleyball team advanced to their fourth Big South Championship match in the last five years after their sweep of No. 3 Winthrop, in the semifinals of the 2018 Big South Tournament at the Justice Center on Saturday evening. The Highlanders, who defeated the Eagles by scores of 25-23, 25-17, 25-22, will meet top-seeded High Point on Sunday at 4:00 p.m. on the campus of UNC Asheville. The winner will earn an automatic berth into the 2018 NCAA Tournament.

First Team All-Big South Conference right side hitter Stephanie Neast amassed a team-high nine kills and hit a sensational .381 to lead the Highlander offense. Freshman outside hitter Kylie Tuxford and senior outside hitter Valerie Gonzalez (10 digs) added eight kills apiece and junior middle Mallory McKnight contributed seven winners. Senior setter Haley Kleespies distributed a match-high 33 assists and freshman libero Grace Green came up with a match-high 16 digs.

Radford hit .259 (41 kills, 12 errors, 112 attempts) for the match and held Winthrop to a .178 clip (36 kills, 17 digs, 107 attacks). Radford also racked up nine service aces and were led by McKnight's three winners.

Box Score (Semifinals)

QUOTABLE
Coach Marci Byers on Tonight's Win -
"I thought we were confident tonight. We had a good week of preparation and they did a good job of taking it into the match tonight. We got ahead and stayed ahead even though Winthrop made some pushes."

Coach Byers on playing against High Point in a re-match of the 2017 Big South Championship match.
"We put ourselves in the position we wanted to be in. We won't talk about it that much. We all know what's at stake and both teams remember what happened last year. We have to come out and play with confidence against a really good team. We have to believe in ourselves. Last year we lost to them twice during the regular-season as well so I'm hoping our veterans can let the younger players know that anything can happen."

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Players Mentioned

#5 Valerie Gonzalez: RS; 6' 1"; Senior

#3 Haley Kleespies: S; 5' 8"; Senior

#9 Mallory McKnight: MB; 5' 11"; Junior

#19 Stephanie Neast: RS; 6' 0"; Junior

#1 Kylie Tuxford: OH/DS; 5' 9"; Freshman

#18 Grace Green: DS/L; 5' 8"; Freshman

Players Mentioned

#5 Valerie Gonzalez
: 6' 1"; Senior
: RS

#3 Haley Kleespies
: 5' 8"; Senior
: S

#9 Mallory McKnight
: 5' 11"; Junior
: MB

#19 Stephanie Neast
: 6' 0"; Junior
: RS

#1 Kylie Tuxford
: 5' 9"; Freshman
: OH/DS

#18 Grace Green
: 5' 8"; Freshman
: DS/L