Match Info
- Campbell at Radford (Big South Match)
- Radford, VA
- Radford improves to 23-3 (13-2 Big South); Campbell drops to 19-10 (9-6 Big South)
- Attendance: 1124
- Box Score
Despite dropping the first set, the host Radford Highlanders rallied for a four set victory over the visiting Campbell University Camels Tuesday night in Radford, Virginia. Set scores were 23-25, 25-17, 25-19, and 25-21. Maddie Palmer led the offense with 16 kills, collecting a match high 26 digs as well, while Mallory McKnight and Valerie Gonzalez chipped in 15 and 12 kills respectively. Haley Kleespies dished out 43 assists and Kaylor Nash collected 25 digs. With the win, Radford improved to 23-3 (13-2 (Big South) and cemented their status in second place in the Big South Conference.
Although the box score was fairly even across the board, Radford held an astounding 12-1 blocking edge, giving them a huge advantage at the net. The Highlanders also led the match in kills 53-47, assists 48-43, and hitting percentage .223 – .118. Campbell led in digs 79-76, and aces 5-4.
For Campbell, Allena Heath and Jessica Stocking led the way with 14 kills apiece with Stocking also collecting 14 digs. Summer Schuitema handed out 34 assists while Kayla Schanback tallied 20 digs. The Camels dropped to 19-10 (9-6 Big South) but still remain in third place in the Big South.
Press Release:
Courtesy of Radford Athletics
RADFORD, Va. – The Radford volleyball team bounced back after dropping the first set with a 3-1 (23-25, 25-17, 25-19, 25-21) victory over Campbell on Tuesday night inside the Dedmon Center. In doing so, the Highlanders recorded a season-high 12 total blocks.
The Highlanders’ (23-3, 13-2 Big South) 12 blocks were the most in a four-set match this season as Radford last put up 12 blocks as a team against Grand Canyon in a five-set victory on September 1. Tuesday’s win also gave the Highlanders a 10-match win streak, which is the most since 2014.
Campbell (19-10, 9-6 Big South) got off to a hot start in the first set and took a 7-3 lead. Radford battled back, but the lead grew to five as an Allena Heath kill made it 12-7.Mallory McKnight sparked a run for the Highlanders as they cut it to a one-point deficit midway through the set, 14-13. A powering shot by Maddie Palmer later in the set knotted it up at 21. Both teams went back-and-forth over the next four points, but Jessica Stocking gave the Fighting Camels the set win, 25-23, with back-to-back kills.
McKnight made sure the Highlanders did not fall behind in the second set as she picked up the set opening point with a kill. Radford blasted to a 9-4 lead, but – as it says in their nickname – the Fighting Camels did just that and fought back cutting the deficit to two, 14-12. That ignited an 11-5 set-ending run, where the Highlanders took advantage of five Campbell errors and added four kills en route to a 25-17 set win.
The block party really began in the fourth set as the Highlanders garnered four total team blocks led by McKnight with four block assists. Palmer and Nash tallied seven digs each and Haley Kleespies added nine assists in the set alone. Radford held the Fighting Camels to a -.023 hitting percentage and forced a match-high 10 attack errors, which helped the Highlanders take a 2-1 set lead with a 25-19 third set victory.
Radford used a 4-0 run to pull away early in the fourth set, 9-5, and eventually led by eight, 18-10. With the set and match seemingly in hand, the pesky Campbell team scored four unanswered making it close, 18-14. Radford quickly put an end to the threat scoring six of the next 10 points, but Campbell didn’t go away. Amid the match one point away from ending, 24-17, Campbell rattled off another 4-0 run with three straight kills by Heath and a service ace by Summer Schuitema. Following a Radford timeout Valerie Gonzalez pulled the Highlanders out of danger with a kill assisted by Kleespies.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- Radford totaled 12 team blocks, which is the most in a four-set match this season, but ties the most in any match this year. Radford previously tallied 12 against Grand Canyon in the Wildcat Classic in Tucson, Ariz., on Sept. 1.
- Radford impressively held Campbell to a .118 hitting percentage. The Fighting Camels only mustered up one block in the match and it came in the fourth set.
- Mallory McKnight was one kill away from a season-high as she tallied 15 and led the team with a .484 hitting percentage.
- She led all players with 18.5 points and seven block assists, which is a career-high.
- Maddie Palmer picked up her 18th double-double of the season with 16 kills and 26 digs, both of which led all players. The senior’s 26 digs is a season-high.
- Kaylor Nash recorded her third game with 20-plus digs this season as she contributed 25.
- Valerie Gonzalez, with 12 kills, was the third Highlander with double-digit kills.
- The victory gives Radford 10 straight wins, which is the longest winning streak since 2014.
QUOTABLE
“We didn’t really pay attention to the scouting report early and that’s what we talked about in the first timeout. We gained a little bit of momentum going forward midway through that first set, but it was all about us locking in and paying attention to our assignments. It didn’t help that we missed five serves in the first set either. Those were some things we had to clean up and once we cleaned those things up it made life a little easier.” ~ Marci Jenkins
UP NEXT
The Highlanders wrap up the regular season at home as league-leading High Point travels to Radford on Saturday. First serve is set for 4 p.m., and there will be a pregame recognition for five Highlanders that will play their final regular season match inside the Dedmon Center.
Press Release:
Courtesy of Campbell Athletics
RADFORD, Va. — Campbell won a dramatic first set, but Radford rallied back to earn a 3-1 (23-25, 25-17, 25-19, 25-21) victory over the Camels Tuesday night in Big South Conference volleyball action from the Dedmon Center. Jessica Stocking and Allena Heath each recorded double-doubles for the Camels.
Stocking and Heath both put down 14 kills apiece while Stocking added 14 digs and Heath finished with 11. Despite the loss, just their second in the last 11 matches, the Camels (19-10, 9-6 BSC) remain a game up in third place in the Big South Standings with just one regular season contest remaining.
Kayla Schanback led Campbell with 20 digs while Madee Miner dug-up a career-high 15. Summer Schuitema also recorded a double-double with 34 assists and 13 digs while Madison Linxwiler added eight kills.
An early 3-0 run gave the Camels a 5-2 lead, and a kill from Heath made it a 12-7 advantage and forced a Highlander timeout. Campbell took an 18-14 advantage off a stocking ace, but Radford tied the set at 21-21 before taking its first lead of the match in the next rally.
A service error by RU re-tied the frame before both teams exchanged points to re-set the score at 23-23. Stocking answered with a kill to give the Camels set point before ending it with one final kill in the next rally.
The Highlanders led the second set wire-to-wire en route to the eight-point set victory that tied the match at 1-1. There were four ties in the first 16 points of the third set, but the Highlanders ended the frame on a 9-3 run to take the set by six and lead the match 2-1.
The Highlanders used a pair of 3-0 runs to take an 18-10 advantage in the fourth set. The Camels responded with a 4-0 spurt to cut the lead in half and force a Highlander timeout.
It was still a four-point RU advantage at 21-17 when the Highlanders scored three-straight to earn match-point. The Camels used one final 4-0 run to cut the deficit to 24-21 after an ace from Schuitema. However, Valarie Gonzalez finished off the Radford victory with a final kill.
Maddie Palmer led three Highlanders in double-figure kills with a match-high 16 and added a match-high 26 digs for a double-double. Mallory McKnight and Gonzalez finished with 15 and 12 kills respectively while Kaylor Nash recorded 25 digs. Haley Kleespies dished out a match-high 43 assists.
Campbell will close out the regular season Saturday at home against Charleston Southern for Senior Day. First serve from Gore Arena is set for 4 p.m.
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