The Basics:
Score: Roanoke 3, Salem (NC) 2 (22-25, 25-20, 22-25, 26-24, 15-6)
Records: Maroons 2-3, Spirits 3-1
Location: Salem, Va.
The Lead: The Roanoke College women's volleyball team opened the 2022 Maroon Classic with a thrilling come-from-behind, five-set win over Salem (NC).
Highlights:
- After dropping the first set, the Maroons came back and even the match up at a set apiece with a 25-20 in set two. As a team, Roanoke hit .262 in the set with 15 kills.
- The third set was an offensive showing for both teams with the Maroons hitting .400 and the Spirits hitting .485. The teams combined for 35 kills in the set, that Salem claimed 25-22.
- The fourth set went the distance and more. Roanoke had two set points at 24-22 before Salem tied the score up at 24-24. A Spirit attack error and kill by Georgie Ritter level the match at two-sets each and forced a deciding 5th set.
- The fifth set was all Maroons with Roanoke taking an 11-1 lead with a nine-point run by the home team. It was a little back and forth until another kill by Ritter closed out the match 15-6.
- Peyton Kirchner had a match-high 23 kills on .475 hitting. Rylee Mayer was right behind her with 21 kills in the match.
- The Maroons had more service aces (11-6) and more blocks (12-8) than Salem.
The Basics:
Score: Roanoke 3, Methodist 0 (25-23, 26-16, 25-16)
Records: Maroons 3-3, Methodist 3-2
Location: Salem, Va.
The Lead: Playing back-to-back matches can be tough on any team, but the Roanoke College women's volleyball team didn't let it phase them with a sweep on Methodist, 3-0, immediately following their 5-set win over Salem (NC).
Highlights:
- The Maroons' offense clicked throughout the match with at least 13 kills as a team in each of the three sets.
- The close first set saw 18 kills by Roanoke, but the 10 attack errors kept the set close before the Maroons closed it out 25-23.
- Roanoke upped its game in the second set with 19 kills on just three attack errors for a .410 attack percentage as a team. The Maroons were rewarded with a 2-0 set lead after claiming the set 25-16.
- The third set saw Roanoke jump out to an 8-0 lead and 13-2 lead before the Monarchs used a late push in an attempt to come back but the Maroons were too much and got the sweep with a 25-16 win in set three.
- Three Maroons reached double-digit kills in just the three sets. Kirchner (12), Ryanna Clark (11), and Ritter (10) all had more kills than the top offensive player for Methodist (9).
- Kirchner hit .381 while Clark hit .296 in the victory.
Up Next: The Maroons will wrap up action at the 2022 Maroon Classic on Saturday, September 10 with a pair of matches. First Roanoke will take on NC Wesleyan at 1 p.m. before finishing the event in the last match of the day against Mary Baldwin at 5 p.m.
