For immediate release – 11/8/2014 - #144
LC Volleyball Battles in ODAC Title Game as Payne Sets School Record

ASHLAND, VA – The Lynchburg College volleyball team battled for four nail-biting sets, ultimately falling in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) championship match to Washington and Lee University, 25-18, 16-25, 25-21, 26-24 on Saturday evening.

Lynchburg senior hitter Aricquel Payne set the all-time Lynchburg record for kills in a career with 1,246, passing current head coach Beth Ellinger who finished with 1,240.

It was the third-straight year that the Hornets have faced the Generals in the ODAC championship.

The first set was tied 16-16 when the Generals scored the next six points on three attack errors and two kills by  Kasey Cannon to pull ahead 22-16. Lynchburg attempted a comeback, but three more kills by Cannon finished the set.

Lynchburg did not let the first set affect the rest of the match as the Hornets rode an incredible .343 game hitting percentage to a 25-16 second set victory.

Washington and Lee led 13-12 in the second set before the Hornets went on a 13-3 scoring run, collecting the final six points to down the Generals. Aricquel Payne had five kills in the set, including three straight at a point while Jennifer Garrett added four for LC.

The Generals kept pressure on in the third game after Payne collected a service ace for a 9-8 lead. W&L scored the next five points to assume a 13-9 advantage forcing a Lynchburg timeout.

Washington and Lee led 24-20 when Mackenzie Ross set Payne to tie the all-time record. Jenna Gustafson had a kill for the Generals on the next point to end the third set.

Lynn Walsh found Payne with the Hornets leading 6-3 in the fourth set to put away the historic kill for the Woodbridge, Virginia native.

The Hornets trailed 18-15 when Payne put away yet another kill, one of 18 total in the match to lead Lynchburg. A bad set started another Hornet run, this time 8-3, to put Lynchburg ahead 24-21.

Washington and Lee battled to finish off the fourth set, scoring the final five points on three attack errors and two Anna Lausberg kills.

Garrett joined Payne in double-figures with 15 kills. Ross led the Hornets with 31 assists as Walsh contributed 15 to go along with a team-leading 19 digs from Sam Page.

Lausberg finished with 14 kills for the Generals (27-6) while Katie Volk led the way with 12 digs and Alex Kinzer contributed 22 assists.

Lynchburg finishes the season with a 19-13 record.