DANVILLE, Va. – Averett University women's volleyball, on the back of a career match-high 22 kills from senior outside hitter
Sydney Mounce, climbed back from a one-set deficit to knock off Randolph College, 3-1, at the Grant Center on Wednesday night.
Randolph (12-11,2-6 ODAC) established momentum early on with a 3-0 start. Averett (4-13,2-7 ODAC) responded with consecutive kills from Mounce and senior middle
Allie Lane to cut the lead to one, and both teams proceeded to trade points early in the set. The WildCats began to separate themselves when going up 10-7.
A service ace from senior libero
Kyleigh Rains and a kill from senior outside hitter
Tahani Villines evened the set score at 10-10. Randolph controlled the stanza from then one, going up 19-15, but Averett did its best to close the gap. The WildCats reached set point at 24-20, and needed two match points to close it out.
The Cougars took advantage of early miscues from the visitors to establish an early 3-1 lead, which became a theme of the set. A decisive run, combined with dominant kills and service aces, pushed Averett ahead 11-6. Randolph stopped the bleeding on the next point, but the Cougars kept marching on; more kills from Lane and Mounce, along with a service ace from freshman setter
Hannah Batista stretched the home side's lead to 17-8.
The WildCats pushed late, but it was no match for Averett, as the team's 16 kills and .364 hitting percentage in the second evened the match at one set all.
The middle set was easily the most competitive between the ODAC squads. Ties at 10-10, 12-12, 14-14, and 15-15 defined how close the team were with each other, but it was the Cougars that began to pull ahead. Another kill from Mounce helped Averett go up 18-16, but the WildCats' resilience proved strong as they tied up the set at 20-20 later on.
Randolph eventually reached set point at 24-23, but a visiting error took the set to extras. The next two points split, before a Mounce kill had Averett at set point. The senior then finished the set on her own volition, which secured a 27-25 set victory, and a 2-1 set lead in favor of the home team.
A tightly-played fourth was on the cards between Averett and Randolph, but the Cougars took an early 3-0 lead. Two separate streaks of consecutive points had Averett in the drivers' seat at 17-10, but a 10-3 in favor of the WildCats spelled similarities to the previous stanza, knotted up at 20-20 late.
Averett reached the 23-point mark first, but Randolph's quick turnaround had it at a set point away to force a fifth and final set. Consecutive kills from Mounce then put Averett at match point, but Randolph tied the set up once more, as for the second straight set, the two teams would decide matters in extras.
Two more in a row from the WildCats gave them another set point, but the Cougars answered immediately with yet another kill from Mounce. A Randolph attack error gave Averett at 27-26 match point, and it was all that the home side needed. Sophomore outside hitter/right side
Sydney Carbone delivered the final blow that elevated Averett to a thrilling victory.
Mounce put out a performance for the ages, setting a career-high in single-match kills with 22 at a .320 hitting clip, and 16 digs. Villines joined her in double-digit kills with 13, and tied her Averett career-high in single season digs with 21. Villines also had four service aces in the win.
Batista also achieved her highest assist total this season with 28, and a team-high 22 digs. Mounce and junior middle hitter/right side
Emily Phillips both recorded two block assists.
As a squad, Averett achieved its highest single-match kill total with 58, highest assist total with 52, and dig total at 92.
The home conference stretch continues on Friday, Oct. 23 against Washington and Lee, receiving votes in the AVCA national polls. Start time is set for 6:30 p.m.
