Runnin' Bulldogs Fall 3-1 on Friday Night in Paul Porter Arena
November 06, 2010 | Volleyball
Boiling Springs, N.C. - The Gardner-Webb volleyball team picked up 10 kills from both Laura Wilcox and Molly Rhyne, to go along with a career-night from freshman Amanda Murphy who tallied nine kills, eight digs and five total blocks, yet it wasn't enough as the Runnin' Bulldogs fell to Radford 3-1 on Friday night in Paul Porter Arena.
The Runnin' Bulldogs bounced back from a 25-20 first set loss and a 25-17 second set loss to take the third set 25-22 and force a fourth set. However, in the fourth set, Gardner-Webb struggled offensively posting a -.156 attack percentage in a 25-10 set loss.
In the opening set, Gardner-Webb took a 7-5 lead on a Radford attack error, only to have the Highlanders fight back to take a 12-9 lead on three straight points capped off by a Megan McWhorter kill.
After a GWU timeout, Radford pushed its lead out to as much as six at 19-13 before the Runnin' Bulldogs got the offense going and cut the lead to four at 22-18 on a Rhyne kill.
Yet the Highlanders outscored GWU 3-2 in the final five rallies, including scoring the final two points of the set, to take the set 25-20 and an early match lead at 1-0.
In the second set, again the Runnin' Bulldogs were going back-and-forth with the Highlanders until Radford used a 4-1 run to take its largest lead of the set at 13-8 again on a McWhorter kill.
GWU battled its way back into the set, cutting the lead to one at 15-14 on a Rhyne kill, only to have Radford again use an offensive surge, this time a 5-1 run to pull out to a 20-15 lead en route to a 25-17 set win.
Down 2-0 the Runnin' Bulldogs refused to roll over and play dead taking a 10-7 lead on a Wilcox kill.
Gardner-Webb refused to relinquish the lead, holding off a Highlanders team that tied the score up once at 13-13 before GWU responded with a 3-1 run capped off by back-to-back kills by Lauren Evans and Rhyne to put the home team up 17-14.
Radford continued to hang close over the next several possessions, until back-to-back points gave them a 21-20 lead over the Runnin' Bulldogs, forcing GWU to take a timeout.
The Runnin' Bulldogs responded out of the timeout with back-to-back points to retake the lead at 22-21, only to have Radford retie the score up at 22-22 on a Laura Waddell kill.
After a Radford attack error put GWU in front at 23-22, Gardner-Webb answered with a kill from Wilcox and another Radford error to pick up the 25-22 set win and force a fourth set.
However, in the fourth set, a slow start killed the Runnin' Bulldogs, as GWU found themselves down 7-2 early.
The early lead proved to be too much for GWU, as the Runnin' Bulldogs struggled passing and with its offensive attacks, failing to get to within seven points or less of the Highlanders in Radford's 25-10 set win.
Junior setter Evan Moffitt had 27 set assists and 12 digs, while Wilcox tallied a team-high 19 digs in the loss.
For Radford, Waddell led the way with a match-high 17 kills, while setter Desiree Aramburu had a match-high 49 set assists and libero Katelyn Meeks posted a match-high 34 digs in the win.
Gardner-Webb (5-22, 0-12 Big South) will return to action tomorrow afternoon, as the Runnin' Bulldogs will host the High Point Panthers at 2 p.m. in Paul Porter Arena.
Radford will also return to action tomorrow afternoon, as the Highlanders will travel down the road to Clinton, S.C. to face off with the Presbyterian College Blue Hose at 4 p.m.
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| Box Score: Radford 3, Gardner-Webb 1 |
