DANVILLE, Va. — Averett University men's volleyball team dropped two matches, 3-0, against Randolph-Macon College on Tuesday at the Grant Center.

Randolph-Macon (4-4, 1-0 ODAC) won 25-16, 25-15, 25-9 against Averett (1-5, 0-1 ODAC) for the Yellow Jackets' first conference win of the season. 

Freshman Joel Hetherington led the Cougars' offense with nine assists, while fellow setter sophomore Shaun Freeman tallied eight. Sophomore Finn Oakley benefited from his teammates' passing, leading the way with six kills. The Cougars recorded six blocks as a team, including two blocks from junior middle hitter Kendrick Sasu-Twumasi. Junior libero Anibal Lopez orchestrated Averett's defense with seven digs. 

The match started off tightly contested as the two sides traded points early on. With the score sitting at 11-9 in Randolph-Macon's favor, the Yellow Jackets mounted a run giving the team a healthy lead that they wouldn't relinquish. Averett kept the margin stable until Randolph-Macon pulled away to close the first set. Averett was once again able to keep things close early on in the second set before Randolph-Macon once again picked up steam late. The third set saw the Yellow Jackets maintain momentum en route to the match victory. 

The second leg of the doubleheader, a non-conference contest, finished with a 25-12, 25-15, 25-17 victory. 

Oakley recorded seven kills for the Cougars, while Sasu-Twumasi added five kills of his own. Freeman added 11 assists to lead the offense, and Lopez racked up 12 digs to pace the defense. 

The fourth set of the day between the two teams saw Randolph-Macon continue the momentum gained in the first match. The Yellow Jackets jumped to an early lead in the first set, securing the 1-0 advantage in the match. Averett found its footing in the beginning of Set 2, trading blows with Randolph-Macon. Ultimately, the Yellow-Jackets prevailed in the late stages of the set. The teams traded runs throughout most of the third set. The Cougars kept the score to within three points at 17-14, but eventually the visitors wrapped up the sweep. 

The Cougars are back in action when they travel to Lynchburg, Virginia to compete in a conference match against the University of Lynchburg and a non-conference match against Marymount University at noon and 2 p.m. on Saturday.





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