BUIES CREEK, N.C. – In what proved to be one of the most epic back-and-forth matches in recent memory, the Radford volleyball team defeated first-place Campbell, 3-2, in a five-set thriller.
 
The all-important win moves Radford to 10-16 on the season and 6-8 in Big South play while Campbell falls to 16-10 overall and 12-2 in conference play.
 
Taylor Jefferson was the hero in the final moment, rising up on tired legs to block the Camel's last attack attempt and clinch the victory. It was only fitting for the Highlanders' top offensive threat on the day as she led the team with 15 kills on a whopping 51 attempts.
 
Sophie Paspal played a complete game with 13 kills and four block assists while the best friend duo of Grace Tulevech and Tori Britton had 10 kills and four block assists each.
 
Freshman phenom Jackeline Nerro secured her fifth-straight double-double thanks to a 31-assist, 17-digs performance. Shelby Hernandez was tops in the digs category with 34 across five sets.
 
Radford made a statement early, taking a 1-0 lead after running away with a 25-21 win in the first set. They nearly took the second set as well, but the Fighting Camels narrowly evened the match with a 25-23 win.
 
The third set was one for the ages as the Highlanders and Camels battled as hard as they possibly could, going back-and-forth, until Radford won it 32-30. Radford fell behind 24-20 but refused to go down and went on a 4-0 run to force the extra play in the team's longest single set of the year.
 
Campbell once again held off a furious comeback effort in the fourth set to earn another 25-23 decision and force a fifth set.
 
The entire fifth set was a trading of points without either time finding much breathing room at all. Down 13-12 late, the Highlanders flipped the table and took a 14-13 lead before ending the match on top.
 
KEY STATS

• This marks Radford's first win over Big South rival Campbell since November 9, 2019
• Both teams tallied double-digit kills in all five sets
• Jefferson led all players with three service aces while 14 service errors held back the Camels throughout the day

AROUND THE BIG SOUTH
Charleston Southern 3, USC Upstate 1
Winthrop 3, Gardner-Webb 0
Presbyterian 3, UNC Asheville 0
 
POSTSEASON OUTLOOK
Only the top four teams in the standings earn a spot in the Big South Tournament and the trio of Campbell (12-2), High Point (12-2), and Winthrop (11-3) have already punched their tickets. With just two games left to play, Gardner-Webb and Charleston Southern are both 7-7 while Radford is one game back at 6-8.
 
UP NEXT
Radford will host USC Upstate on Friday, Nov. 11 and Gardner-Webb on Saturday, Nov. 12 for the two final regular season matches of the season. A Senior Day ceremony will take place prior to Saturday's contest and both games will be streamed live on ESPN+.
 
FOLLOW RADFORD VOLLEYBALL
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