Box Score

ROCK HILL, SC – The Winthrop volleyball team was swept Friday evening by the Radford Highlanders in its first home game in nearly a month.

The Eagles fell to 11-11 overall and 2-6 in the conference with the loss while Radford improved to 17-8 overall and 6-2 in the Big South with the victory.

The first set was a very close back-and-forth battle with 16 ties and five lead changes.  Neither team was able to amass more than a three-point lead.  The Eagles and Highlanders were tied at 23-23 before Radford grabbed the last two points needed to take the first set 25-23.

Radford rode its momentum into the beginning of the second set, jumping out to a 7-2 lead, forcing Winthrop to take a timeout.  The Eagles were able to get back within three at 12-9, but the Highlanders then went on another run increasing their lead to 17-11.  Radford went on to take the second set 25-17. 

The third set was again played extremely close, but Winthrop never good gain the momentum needed to pull away from the Highlanders.  The teams were tied 12-12 before a quick 3-0 spurt by the Highlanders gave them a 15-12 lead that they didn't relinquish.  Radford took the third set 25-20 and the match 3-0.

Irene Ojukwu led the Eagle hitters with 11 kills and finished with a .333 hitting percentage.  Alina Sopizhuk tallied seven kills without playing in the third set.  Jessie Vicic finished with 41 assists while Maria Volstad added 10 digs.

The Eagles will return to action Saturday at 2 p.m. when they host the Liberty Flames inside the Winthrop Coliseum.