LYNCHBURG, Va. – The Emory & Henry College Volleyball Team evened its season record at 7-7 and its Old Dominion Athletic Conference mark at 2-2 Wednesday evening with a 3-1 (25-17, 25-20, 23-25, 25-23) win over Randolph College (2-14, 0-5 ODAC) at the Randolph Athletics and Dance Center.
The Wasps opened the first set with a 5-0 run and went on to lead 18-10 later thanks to another five-point scoring run. Back-to-back blocks by junior Kennady Thomason (Chattanooga, Tenn.) gave E&H the 1-0 lead in the match.
Midway through the second frame, Randolph had an 8-1 run to lead 14-12, but Emory & Henry finished things out with a 13-6 scoring spurt, including seven of the last nine points to win the set 25-20.
The two teams traded scoring runs back and forth during the third stanza and the WildCats took advantage of their best attacking set (.205; 11-3-39) of the match to close things to a 2-1 set lead. Ahead 24-20, RC held off a late three-point run by E&H to win, 25-23.
Emory & Henry got a 3-1 lead in the fourth set thanks to three straight points. The rest of the set saw no scoring more than two points in a row as neither squad led by more than three at any time during the period. Down 23-20, the WildCats closed the gap to 24-23, but Wasp junior outside hitter Tristen Pennington (Kingsport, Tenn.) put the match away with a kill, 25-23.
E&H junior right-side hitter Hannah Doss (Meadowview, Va.) led all offensive players with 13 kills and a .444 (13-1-27) hitting percentage, making her only error in the final moments of the match. She also added nine digs and two blocks. Freshman outside hitter Tori Holmberg (Wake Forest, N.C.) had 13 kills and five digs while Thomason ended the night with 10 kills and three blocks. Freshman setter Sam McCauley (Glade Spring, Va.) had 29 assists while Pennington ended the match with eight kills, four service aces and 12 digs. Junior libero Emily Hinshaw (Boone, N.C.) added 20 digs and three aces of her own.
Randolph was paced by Alex Mariona with 12 kills on .273 (12-3-33) hitting and eight digs. Rebecca Lesnak notched nine kills while Autumn Troxell chipped in eight kills. Brooks Gillerlain posted a double-double with 31 assists and 10 digs while Elisabeth Price contributed 14 digs to the WildCats.
Emory & Henry will take to the road for a non-conference tri-match on Saturday. The Wasps will take on the Lions of Piedmont College at noon and will face Wesleyan (Ga.) College at 2:00 p.m., in the final match of the day.
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-photo courtesy of Caleb Johnston, E&H '15