RADFORD, VA -- The Winthrop volleyball battled hard against the high-powered Radford Highlanders but fell in three sets Friday evening.

The Eagles fall to 8-11 overall and 0-4 in conference play while Radford improves to 6-0 in Big South play and 15-3 overall.

The two sides were tied 22-22 before Radford took the final three points, winning the first set 25-22.  Winthrop battled back, taking its own lead but only by as much as one point.  In a back-and-forth opening set, Radford hit first, running off five-straight points to turn a 9-9 tie into a 14-9 lead.

Both teams were able to fight off multiple set point before the Highlanders were finally able to pull away for the 28-26 second-set victory.  The two teams then traded points with neither able to garner more than a two-point edge.  Winthrop responded with an 8-1 run, taking a 17-15 lead.  Radford jumped out to the early lead in the second set, leading by as much as five at 14-9.

Winthrop had set point at 24-23 but Radford staved off the point and went on to take the final set 26-24.  Much like the first two sets, Radford held an early lead only to see the Eagles fight back.

Brianna Gray and Sammie-Jo Ah-Hong led the Eagles offensively with 12 and 11 kills respectively.  Siani Yamaguchi led the Eagles with 22 assists and Mallary McFadden finished with 16 digs.

Winthrop returns to the court Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m. on the road against the Liberty Flames.