Runnin' Bulldogs Dominate the Net in 3-1 Home Win over Radford
September 29, 2012 | Volleyball
Boiling Springs, N.C. - The Gardner-Webb volleyball team recorded 14 total blocks as a team, as the Runnin' Bulldogs defeated the Radford Highlanders 3-1 on Saturday afternoon in Paul Porter Arena.
Gardner-Webb took the first two sets 25-22 and 26-24, and after dropping the third set 18-25, the home team bounced back to dominate the fourth set at 25-17 and take the 3-1 match win.
With the win, GWU improves to 7-13 overall and 2-1 in Big South Conference play, while Radford falls to 10-9 and 1-2 in conference action with the loss.
Gardner-Webb was led by juniors Tyler Cockrell and Emily Holte, who posted 14 and 10 kills, respectively, while senior Dominique Bray suited up at libero and totaled a career-high 20 digs in the win. Setter Heather Feldman dished out a match-high 39 assists to go along with 13 digs, her eighth double-double of the season.
For the Highlanders, Emily Carlin led the way with 13 kills and 16 digs, while Yacine Meyer added 10 digs and 16 kills in the loss.
Radford started the match out strong, as the visiting Highlanders took a 7-2 lead out of the gates to force a GWU timeout.
Out of the timeout, the Runnin' Bulldogs fell behind by six at 8-2, and struggled to get back into the set until a 7-0 run, jump started by a Carolina Solano kill, pushed the home team back into the frame at 14-14.
After Radford retook the lead and held on to it for the next several possessions, Gardner-Webb refused to quit, but rather put together three straight points, including an ace from bray, to take an 18-17 lead.
The score would be tied four more times over the rest of the set, however, the Runnin' Bulldogs refused to let go of the lead and used a 3-0 run, highlighted by kills from Solano and Amanda Murphy, to hold on for the 25-22 set one victory.
Again Gardner-Webb got off to a slow start in the second set, falling behind by two at 3-0 on back-to-back GWU errors, yet this time the home team battled back to take its first lead of the set at 5-4 on a Molly Rhyne kill.
The Highlanders would then use a 7-4 run, capped off by a kill by Meyer, to retake the lead at 12-9 and force a GWU timeout.
The resiliency of the Runnin' Bulldogs continued, as the home team scratched and clawed its way back into the lead at 15-14 on a Holte kill and once more at 17-16 on a Radford error.
The two teams' would continue to go back-and-forth until a 3-0 run by Gardner-Webb gave the home team a four point lead and set point at 24-20. However, two Meyer kills and two service aces by Emily Hayes of the Highlanders tied the set up once more at 24-24.
Refusing to shutdown, the home team picked up kills from Solano and Cockrell to take the second set 26-24 and push the Runnin' Bulldogs match lead to 2-0.
The third set was much like the first two, as Gardner-Webb allowed the Highlanders to run out to an early lead this time at 5-1.
Out of another early timeout by the Runnin' Bulldogs, the home team was unable to get its offense going, as Radford extended its lead to six at 12-6 on four straight points.
After a second GWU timeout, the Runnin' Bulldogs responded with a 5-0 run, which included a kill from both Erin Anderson and Tyra Montour, to cut the Radford lead to two at 13-11.
Yet that would be as close as the Runnin' Bulldogs would get, as the Highlanders outscored GWU 14-5 for the rest of the set to come away with a 25-18 set win and force a fourth set.
With a 2-1 match lead, GWU got off to a solid start in the fourth set, taking a 6-3 lead on a Cockrell kill.
After Radford tied the set up at 9-9 on a Carlin kill, the Runnin' Bulldogs used a 7-1 run to take a 16-10 lead midway through the set and forced a Highlander timeout.
The break did not slow down the home team, as Gardner-Webb used a 7-0 run, highlighted by blocks from Rhyne and Cockrell, en route to a 25-17 win and a 3-1 match victory.
Gardner-Webb dominated at the net, as the Runnin' Bulldogs posted a total of 14.0 team blocks, compared to the Highlanders 4.0.
Gardner-Webb will return to action next Friday night, as the Runnin' Bulldogs will hit the road to take on Presbyterian College at 7 p.m. in Clinton, S.C.
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| Box Score: GWU 3, Radford 1 |
