RICHMOND, Va. – A third-set win gave a glimmer of hope, but the Radford women's volleyball team ultimately fell, 3-1, to VCU inside the Siegel Center on Saturday evening.
Through two tournaments and six matches on the season, the Highlanders fall to 1-5 with a win over Iona highlighting the young season.
The Rams took a 1-0 lead in the latest matchup between the two Commonwealth teams thanks to a late surge in the first set. Radford looked strong out of the gate, taking an 11-10 lead on an
Olivia Flanagan solo block, but VCU scored eight of the final 10 points to close it out.
It was the
Kennedy Robinson show in the second set as the sophomore outside hitter racked up the kills. In an eight-point span amongst the two teams, Robinson accounted for four of them, hitting hard and placing the ball in all the right spots.
Despite her efforts, the Rams continued to control the direction of the game and went ahead 2-0 in the match. Radford once again allowed its opponent to go on a tear at the end of a set, allowing VCU to score 13 of the final 15 points.
With their backs against the wall, the Highlanders put together one of their best performances of the weekend. Radford jumped out to a 4-0 lead which grew to 7-2 before the Rams even knew what hit them.
The hosts battled back to a 12-12 tie, but even that didn't stop Radford as the team chipped away and eventually stayed alive with a 25-23 win.
VCU returned to form in the fourth set, taking a 25-20 win to claim an overall victory.
KEY STATS
- Kennedy Robinson finished the match with a career-high 12 kills on a .276 hitting percentage
- Julia Slivka followed up a strong showing against Iona with a 27-assist, nine-dig, four-ace performance on Saturday
- Sierra Moore also had a great game, finishing with 10 kills and 12 digs for a double-double
- One big difference in the match: VCU had 15 service aces while Radford was limited to seven
UP NEXT
Radford stays in the state of Virginia for yet another tournament – this time to be hosted by George Mason in Fairfax. The Highlanders will take on Brown on Friday, Sept. 8 and then played George Mason and Robert Morris on Saturday, Sept. 9.
FOLLOW RADFORD VOLLEYBALL
For more information on the Radford volleyball team follow @RadfordVB on Twitter and Instagram or Radford Volleyball on Facebook.
