RADFORD, Va. – The Radford volleyball team came to play on Friday night, sweeping UNC Asheville in straight sets to win, 3-0, in the 2023 home opener.
With a Big South win under its belt, Radford improves to 2-11 overall and 1-3 in conference play. Meanwhile, the Bulldogs fall to 6-11 on the season, but 0-4 in Big South play.
A little home cookin' was all the Highlanders needed. In their very first chance to play in from of the friendly Dedmon Center crowd, it looked like a completely different team from the season's first 12 matches which produced just one victory.
Sierra Moore fired off a perfectly placed attack to end the first rally of the match and then secured a 1-0 victory with the last point of the first set to set the tone from the jump. The Highlanders stayed in front throughout, racking up 16 kills to just seven errors, a level of efficiency missing early in the season.
Head Coach
Sherisa Livingston's side upped the ante in the second set, adding another 17 kills while limiting the Bulldogs' output with excellent communication on the defensive end. By the time Radford went up 2-0 with another victory in the second stanza, they owned a 33-to-18 advantage in kills on the night.
UNC Asheville refused to go quietly, however, giving the Highlanders everything they could handle in the third set. With the score tied 16-all, Radford took over and ended the match on a 9-3 run.
All said and done, Radford finished with 47 kills, their second-most in a match this season, behind only a five-set win over Iona in which the team recorded 51 kills. Their .245 hitting percentage was a season-best for the Highlanders as well.
NOTABLES
- Moore and Sydney Mundkowsky led all players with 10 kills each. Mundkowsky committed just two attack errors, giving her a .444 hitting percentage
- Julia Slivka and Jackeline Nerro combined for 39 assists
- The Bulldogs got a team-high nine kills from Kylie Cackovic
- The thrilling third set featured 12 tied scores and seven lead changes
UP NEXT
Radford hosts USC Upstate on Saturday at 4 p.m. in the last game of the week. The first 50 fans in attendance will receive a free Radford koozie, but for those that can't make it to the Dedmon Center, the match will be streamed live on ESPN+.
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