Radford, VA – Winthrop volleyball defeated Radford University 3-0 (25-14, 25-19, 26-24) Thursday evening at the Dedmon Center.
Winthrop (11-9, 7-2 Big South) | Radford (7-14, 3-6 Big South)
Oct. 20, 2022 | Dedmon Center
Winthrop 3, Radford 0 (25-14, 25-19, 26-24)
How it Happened
Set 1 | After the Highlanders got on the board first,
Avery Jolley recorded two kills out of the first three Winthrop points for an early 3-3 tie. After Radford scored for a 4-3 lead, the Eagles went on a 9-0 run, capped off by a handling error from the Highlanders.
Karli Shepard had two kills during the run. Winthrop seized their largest lead of the set at 23-11, eventually ending it on a kill by
Alayna Jansky for a 25-14 win.
Set 2 | It was more of the same for Winthrop in the second set as the Eagles jumped out to a 13-6 lead.
Brookelynn Thomas had two kills during the run. Winthrop led by as much as 16-7 following an ace by Jolley. After a 3-0 Radford run, three straight kills by Thomas restored the lead to nine points, 19-10. The Highlanders then scored six of the next eight points, with two Shepard kills being the only points for Winthrop during the run. The Eagles eventually closed out the set on two kills each by Jolley and Jansky, winning 25-19.
Set 3 | The final set proved to be a back-and forth thriller. The Highlanders started out with a 6-4 lead before Winthrop scored four quick points for a 9-6 lead, capping it off with a Thomas block. A
Leah Metzger kill gave the Eagles an 11-8 lead but Radford scored seven of the next 10 points for a 15-15 tie. An ace by Jansky gave Winthrop a two-point lead at 18-16, only to eventually trail 20-18. Kills by
Isabella Murray and Shepard, a service ace from Thomas and a Radford error gave the Eagles a 22-21 lead. After the Highlanders tied it up at 22, a Jolley kill gave Winthrop the lead at 23-22. Radford then scored the next two but Winthrop was not to be denied. Kills by Jolley and Jansky, combined with an error against the Highlanders gave Winthrop the 26-24 win and a 3-0 sweep.
Statistical Leaders
Brookelynn Thomas (11 kills, 5 blocks)
Alayna Jansky (10 kills, 3 aces, 6 digs)
Isabella Murray (4 blocks, 29 assists)
Madison Gorniak (17 digs)
Notables
The Eagles have won five straight, taking all four without losing a set.
Longest win streak since 2021, when Winthrop won six straight contests.
The Eagles snapped a two-game road losing streak, winning for the first time away from home since Sep. 22 at UNC Asheville
The Eagles tied the all-time series with Radford at 37 wins apiece.
UP NEXT
The Eagles are back in action Saturday afternoon when they host UNC Asheville at 2 p.m. It's Canned Food Drive night so show up with your canned foods.
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