ASHLAND, Va. --- Junior Megann Grimes pounded down 18 kills and senior Lindsay Kallam posted a 17-dig, 54-assist double-double as the seventh-seeded Bridgewater Eagles volleyball team upset second-seeded Randolph-Macon by a 3-2 score in the quarterfinal round of the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) tournament.

Randolph-Macon took the first set by a 25-21 score before the Eagles stormed back to take the second set by an identical 25-21 tally. The Yellow Jackets took a close third set by a 25-23 margin before Bridgewater forced a deciding set with a 25-22 win in the fourth set. In the fifth set, Bridgewater stormed out to an early lead before taking a 15-12 win to advance to the semifinal round of the ODAC tournament.

The win for Bridgewater over Randolph-Macon was the first for the program since 2007, while the team's berth in the semifinals marks its second-straight trip to the conference's final four.

Randolph-Macon capitalized on numerous Bridgewater miscues to open the first set as the Yellow Jackets ran out to a 7-0 lead early in the contest.

The Eagles survived the early storm and made a run late in the set but the early deficit was too much to overcome as the Yellow Jackets took the opening set by a 25-21 score to earn an early advantage in the match.

In the second set, it was Bridgewater jumping out to the early lead as Grimes opened the set with a kill before back-to-back Randolph-Macon errors allowed the Eagles to jump out to a 3-0 lead. The two teams traded leads early in the set before an Abby Mills kill kick-started a 4-0 Bridgewater run to hand the Eagles an 11-7 lead in the middle portion of the set.

The Yellow Jackets drew to within two, 11-9, off of a pair of Bridgewater errors before the Eagles capitalized on a pair of Randolph-Macon errors and a Maddy Carter kill to build a 14-9 cushion. Randolph-Macon again drew the set to within two points late, but kills from Carter and freshman Carly Casto ended the set, handing the Eagles a 25-21 win.

Bridgewater took its momentum into the third set and built an 8-5 lead off of a kill from Mills before the Yellow Jackets used a big run to take the lead. Randolph-Macon rattled off six straight points to take an 11-8 lead. The two teams traded points, with the score holding at a 13-11 Randolph-Macon advantage, before Bridgewater ripped off four straight points to take a 15-13 lead. Randolph-Macon took the next two points to tie the set up at 15 each. Both teams continued a see-saw affair, with the set finding itself at a tie on four more occasions before the Yellow Jackets eventually earned a tight 25-23 victory.

In the fourth set, Bridgewater took an early 4-3 lead off of a Mills kill and the Eagles wouldn't relinquish the lead throughout the set. Randolph-Macon tied the set up late at a 19-19 score before a Casto kill put the Eagles out in front for good. A setting error on the Yellow Jackets was followed by a Mara Hogan service ace to put Bridgewater out in front 22-19 late in the set. Over the remainder of the set, the two teams traded points with a Grimes kill ending the frame as the Eagles forced a deciding fifth set behind a 25-22 victory in the fourth set of the evening.

Casto forced down a kill to put Bridgewater out in front early in the fifth set before a kill from Kallam and back-to-back kills from the swing of Grimes put the Eagles up 6-2. Bridgewater worked its lead to 9-5 off of a Kallam service ace. Randolph-Macon drew the contest to a 10-9 score late in the set before a kill from freshman Megan Lookabaugh and Grimes put the Eagles out in front 12-9. Randolph-Macon made one last push to trim the deficit to 12-11. Kills from Casto and Grimes put the Eagles on the cusp of victory before a Casto kill sent the Eagles to the semifinal round of the conference tournament with a 15-12 victory in the fifth set.

Grimes' 18-kill effort marks her 18^th game of the season with 10 or more kills as the Midland, Va. native led the offense behind a .517 attack percentage. Mills added in 14 kills and nine digs to just miss a double-double. Lookabaugh tallied nine kills and hit at a .412 clip to help lead a Bridgewater attack that hit .210 on the evening.

Kallam dished out a season-high 54 assists to run the offense for the Eagles while Hogan led the defense with 18 digs. On the defensive side of the coin, Bridgewater had four players tally double-digits in digs.

Randolph-Macon was led offensively by the efforts of Courtney Lowers. Lowers powered down a game-high 20 kills in the loss.

The quarterfinal-round loss for the Yellow Jackets is their first since 2008.

Bridgewater is back in action on Saturday when it tangles with third-seeded Lynchburg in the semifinal round of the ODAC tournament. The semifinals and finals with be played on Saturday on the campus of Washington and Lee University. 

- This release is courtesy of the Bridgewater College Sports Information office. -