RADFORD FALLS IN THRILLING REMATCH VERSUS CHARLESTON SOUTHERN ON SENIOR DAY

Saturday, November 16

Radford, Va.

4 p.m.

Radford University

10-16, 6-8Big South

Charleston Southern

14-14, 6-8Big South

Team	1	2	3	4	5	Final F
Charleston So.	25	22	20	25	16	3
Radford	23	25	25	23	14	2

RADFORD FALLS IN THRILLING REMATCH VERSUS CHARLESTON SOUTHERN ON SENIOR DAY

11/16/2019 7:56:00 PM | Volleyball

Box Score

RADFORD, Va.—The Radford volleyball team hosted Charleston Southern in a conference tournament rematch on Senior Day. The Highlanders fell to the Buccaneers in a thrilling five set bout after honoring seniors Mallory McKnight, Morgan Goodman, and Stephanie Neast. The teams played five very tight sets, all coming down to the wire.

SET ONE
On a beautiful assist from Jordan Coomes, McKnight notched the first kill of the night for either team. Following in her fellow senior's footsteps, Neast posted a pair of kills combined with a defensive stand from the Highlanders to take the early 4-2 lead.

Radford fell behind after a few moments in the opener but Goodman served as the ignitor for the comeback. The Highlanders' defense garnered them six points, several of them blocks from Mackenzie Meehan, to retake the lead at 20-17.

The Buccaneers rallied back into the set and finished off the set at 25-23.

SET TWO
Radford got out to a 3-1 lead thanks to a Charleston Southern mishap, Taylor O'Neal service ace, and a Kennedi Johnson kill.

The tide began to turn in favor of the Highlanders coincidently after the Buccaneers tied the set at 17 all. Five back-to-back kills for Radford from Hailey Flowers, Neast (three), and Johnson increased the Highlander lead to five. Coomes tacked on an ace to solidify the lead at 23-17.

Charleston Southern notched a few more points but it would prove to no useless, as Johnson and Goodman swatted a ball back into Bucs territory for set point at 25-22.

SET THREE
Charleston Southern opened this set on a roll, but Radford's quick counter put the set deadlocked at six.

A Bucs service error gave the serve back to the Highlanders, and they did not waste the opportunity. The Radford defense showed out in this stanza forcing four attack errors while the offense added a pair of kills. This seven-point swing allowed the Highlanders to take the 19-14 lead, and cause a Bucs timeout.

Down the stretch the final four points for Radford came via a kill from Neast, two from O'Neal, and a Charleston Southern attack error. The Highlanders would take the set at 25-20.

SET FOUR
Johnson's kill was followed by some solid defense from Radford, to coast to a 3-1 lead.

Both teams had spurts of points but neither could mount a substantial rally. The Bucs notched a 6-1 scoring run to close the set at 25-23.

There would be a deciding set five played in Dedmon.

SET FIVE
The opening points of this set were back-and-forth, an attack error by Charleston Southern tied the set at nine. The Bucs call timeout.

Coomes snuck a kill over the night and displaced the Charleston Southern defense. Goodman sent up her offering moments later, then came a block assist from Meehan and Coomes.

After another Bucs timeout, the Highlander defense forced yet another miscue to increase their lead to 14-11.

Charleston Southern finalized the set by scoring the five remaining points, closing the door on Radford's entrance into the 2019 Big South Conference Tournament.

STAT OF THE MATCH
Coomes was a force to be reckoned with tonight, flying all over the court for her teammates. She posted her second double-double of the season with 27 assists and 11 digs.

LEADERS
Fittingly, Neast led her team in kills with 13. O'Neal tied her career and season high in kills on the night at 12, while Meehan contributed nine. Coomes posted a career high in service aces at four. The Highlander block party continued with Meehan posting a new season/career high in blocks at 12. She was joined by Goodman (4) and Neast (3). Maddie Lentz tallied 17 assists with Grace Green adding six. In double digit digs on the night were Green (14) and Coomes (11), with O'Neal close behind at eight.

TWEET OF THE MATCH

SET 4 • Radford 12, Charleston So. 10

Jordan Coomes with the ace, also did we mention she has a double double? ??

19 assists and 10 digs!#RiseAndDefend x #BigSouthVB pic.twitter.com/m9b3mhl27F
— Radford Volleyball (@RadfordVB) November 16, 2019

RADFORD SENIORS RUNDOWN
Goodman concludes her Radford career with 45 sets played, 15 matches played, 64 kills, three assists, six aces, 82 digs, and 23 total blocks.

McKnight's career totals as a Highlander are 346 sets played, 105 matches played, 749 kills, 29 assists, 47 aces, 202 digs, and 263 total blocks.

Neast wraps up her career with 374 sets played, 111 matches played, 966 kills, 16 assists, 28 aces, 353 digs, and 269 total blocks.

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