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Home Of The RadFord Highlanders RadFord Highlanders
Team2024
Rob Simmons
1
Radford Rad 1-3,0-0 Big South
3
Winner Youngstown St. YSU 2-2,0-0 Horizon
Radford Rad
1-3,0-0 Big South
1
Final
3
Youngstown St. YSU
2-2,0-0 Horizon
Winner
Set Scores
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Radford Rad 19 21 28 23 (1)
Youngstown St. YSU 25 25 26 25 (3)
1
Radford Rad 1-4,0-0 Big South
3
Winner Eastern Ky. EKU 3-2,0-0 ASUN
Radford Rad
1-4,0-0 Big South
1
Final
3
Eastern Ky. EKU
3-2,0-0 ASUN
Winner
Set Scores
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Radford Rad 19 25 22 22 (1)
Eastern Ky. EKU 25 20 25 25 (3)

Game Recap: Volleyball |

Volleyball Hangs Tough, Falls in Pair of Matches to Youngstown State and Eastern Kentucky

RICHMOND, Ky. – The Radford volleyball program fell in both of their matches on the opening day of the Geri Polvino Invitational Friday afternoon 3-1 to Youngstown State and 3-1 to Eastern Kentucky.
 
KEY STATS
  • Sydney Mundkowsky just missed 20+ kills in both matches today finishing with 38 overall.
  • Sophie Paspal also earned double figures kills in both matches with 13 apiece.
  • The Highlanders continued to block at a high clip totaling 23 on the day.
  • Radford's eight aces against Eastern Kentucky were their most in a single match this season.
  • Lea Gage and Carrington Cook both earned their first collegiate kills today.
 
PLAY BY PLAY
GAME ONE – Radford got off to an early start for their first match of the weekend against Youngstown State. The tone was set early for a tight match as the two squads traded points. Sophie Paspal began her good match with two kills as Aubrey Hatch and Sydney Mundkowsky also added kills for an early 5-2 lead.
 
Up 7-4, Youngstown State went on a 4-0 run to take the lead. Neither team was able to gain an edge up to a 16-16 tie. The Penguins went on a 7-0 run from there, however, to build a sizeable enough lead to take the first set 25-19.
 
In set two things stayed similarly knotted up as both teams fought for an advantage. Down 17-15, it was Youngstown State who pulled out another late run to go up 20-15. Radford responded right back with a 5-1 run of their own to tighten things back up at 21-20. Radford couldn't quite make the leap, though, as Youngstown State held on to win the second set 25-21.
 
After going down 8-4 early in the third set, Radford needed to dig deep to extend the match. The Penguins would lead by as much as 21-16 before Radford ended the set on a huge run. The team went on a 5-1 run to make it close but Youngstown State pushed their lead to 24-21, threatening to end the match.
 
Radford didn't back down getting three straight points thanks to a kill by Mundkowsky and an ace by Jackeline Nerro. Tied at 24-24, Radford held on for the comeback pulling off the third set win 28-26.
 
The Highlanders began the fourth set on fire quickly jumping out to a 9-3 lead. The Penguins called a timeout and regrouped pulling the set to a much tighter margin using a 7-0 run to tie at 14-14 and eventually lead 17-14.
 
Radford didn't go out without a fight, battling to tie the match at 22 and 23 points before Youngstown State was eventually able to pull away and win the fourth set 25-23 sealing the 3-1 final.
 
GAME TWO – After an extended break over seven hours in between matches, Radford got back into it against the weekend hosts Eastern Kentucky. The Colonels, coming off a win earlier in the day against Morehead State, kept rolling to an early lead in the first set.
 
After leading by as much as 16-11, Radford went on a 5-2 run to make things close at 18-16. A pair of aces by Eastern Kentucky broke that run, however, and allowed the hosts to pull away in the first set at 25-19.
 
Radford bounced back for the second set using a much more accurate attack. After going down 3-0, Radford responded with an incredible 11-0 run to grab their largest advantage of the day at 11-3. Eastern Kentucky battled back, tightening the match at 17-14.
 
Not backing down, Radford kept up their attack as Mundkowsky and Paspal combined for four kills to help the team pull away. Up 24-17, Eastern Kentucky went on a 3-0 run but a kill by Taryn Roberts ended that, sealed the 25-20 second set final and tied the match at 1-1.
 
Trying to keep that momentum going, Radford continued to battle back and forth with Eastern Kentucky. Radford was able to gain some momentum to grow an 18-14 lead, but wasn't able to pull away. The Colonels battled back and eventually sealed the third set 25-22 in their favor.
 
Head to the fourth set for a second straight match, Radford tried to buckle down. Eastern Kentucky was able to open a large lead midway through the set that allowed them to eventually hold on. Nerro made a heroic effort near the end with a flurry of aces to tighten things up, but Eastern Kentucky held on and won the match 3-1.
 
AROUND THE BIG SOUTH
  • Charleston Southern fell in their first match of the day 3-1 against Belmont before facing their weekend hosts Chattanooga forcing five sets before ultimately falling 3-2.
  • UNC Asheville opened their 2024 season falling 3-1 to West Georgia and tried to rally late against Georgia State but ultimately fell 3-1.
  • Presbyterian came up just short in a pair of five-set matches to Campbell and Queens (NC).
  • Gardner-Webb fell 3-0 to Kennesaw State and took on ETSU.
  • Winthrop stayed hot with a 3-0 victory over Lafayette in Richmond, Va.
  • USC Upstate fell in a 3-2 affair to Pacific in Charleston, S.C. in their lone match of the day.
  • High Point returned home to host Ohio and came up just short in a 3-2 final.
 
UP NEXT
The Highlanders return to action tomorrow morning for their final match of the weekend. Radford and Morehead State will face off with an 11 a.m. first serve.

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