For immediate release – 9/24/2014 - #059
Hornet Rally Falls Short as Macon downs LC 3-0

LYNCHBURG, VA – The Lynchburg College volleyball team battled through several tough sets, falling just short each time as Randolph-Macon College took a three-set victory, 25-21, 25-22, 25-20, Wednesday evening in Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) action.

The Hornets jumped out to an early 4-2 lead in the first set behind several hitting errors from the Yellow Jackets and a kill by Aricquel Payne. A 4-1 Randolph-Macon run gave the visitors a lead they would hold until Lynchburg regained the advantage on a service error to take a 16-15 edge.

Randolph-Macon went on another scoring run to take a lead before a Payne kill cut the gap to one, 22-21. The Yellow Jackets scored the final three points to close out the first.

Lynchburg was able to keep it close in the second set, tying the match at 1-1 and 4-4 but could not take the lead away from the visitors as Macon took the second set.

The Hornets had to fight back in the third set, down 20-13 with Randolph-Macon's Courtney Lowers serving. Payne helped Lynchburg side out quickly, collecting another kill on the third touch after the serve.

Lynchburg's subsequent service point was extended on both sides before Jennifer Garrett picked up the block to keep the serve with the Hornets.

Payne continued to serve well, forcing the Yellow Jackets into a pair of errors before collecting an ace to force Macon to take a timeout with the lead cut in half, 20-16.

The match went back and forth from that point on with Payne cutting the gap to three, 23-20, before an Emily Ortiz kill and block by Lowers and Addie Cooper ended the match.

Lowers had 13 kills and seven digs while Katie Rossberg added 10 kills. Riley Martin led the Jackets (11-6/4-0) with 20 assists to go along with seven digs.

Payne had nine kills and seven digs for the Hornets while Garrett added seven kills, two aces, and two blocks. Lynn Walsh had 13 assists as Gabby Myers added 12 to go along with eight digs.

Lynchburg (8-8/2-2) hosts Southern Virginia University (9-6) Friday at 6:30 p.m. in non-conference action.