HUNTINGDON, Pa.- The #14 Juniata women's volleyball team took down visiting Randolph Macon, 3-1 (25-21, 25-21, 21-25, 25-23), during the first day of the 28th Asics Invitational Friday evening inside a rowdy Memorial Gymnasium.
The win is the 1500th in program history, the most of any women's volleyball program in Division III.
The opening set was tight early, with a service ace from the Yellow Jackets making it 14-14. A service error, an ace from Kiona Sky Rousset Hernandez (Rio Grande, Puerto Rico / Colegio Bautista de Carolina HS), another RMC attack error followed by a kill from Brianne Carmody (Midlothian, Va. / James River). Following a JC attack error, Randolph Macon committed two of their own, and Lily Podolan (Columbus, Ohio / Worthington Kilbourne) tallied a kill of her own. The visitors responded with a kill, Podolan and Emily Sullivan (Williamsburg, Va. / Lafayette HS) responded with two straight kills to make it 23-16. A 4-0 surge from RMC made it close at 23-20, but a kill from Grace Erskine (Mooresville, N.C. / Community School of Davidson) would eventually give the set to Juniata, 25-21.
The second set was a battle of runs, as the Eagles jumped out to a 7-2 to lead, which included three kills from Carmody. The Yellow Jackets rattled off five of the next seven points to narrow the gap; the exchange of flurries continued from there. RMC went on a late 5-0 rally to make it 24-21, but a visitor attack error ended set two in favor of the Eagles.
Juniata trailed throughout the third set and could never close the game as they lost 21-25.
The Eagles led 5-2 early and 7-5 a little later in set four, but a corner Yellow Jacket is hard to put down. They buzzed their way back and took a commanding 12-20 lead. Two kills from Erskine along with a kill & ace from Aly Reardon (Downingtown, Pa. / Downingtown West HS) made it 16-20. Following an RMC time out, Erskine combined with Kennedy Christy (Saxonburg, Pa. / Knoch HS) for a block, Randolph-Macon committed an error, and Erskine tallied another kill. The visitors called another timeout to try and stop the JC 7-0 run, but Christy's kill capped the run and knotted things at 20-20. From that point on, it was Christy vs. Randolph Macon as she tallied four kills paired with an RMC attack error to help the Eagles complete the comeback and win the match 25-23.
Juniata scored 13 of the match's final 16 points to get the win.
The Eagles will take on Arcadia tomorrow at 11:00 am.
