GREENSBORO, N.C. (10-24-08) – Kelsey Largen put away a match-high 20 kills and accounted for 23 points in visiting Roanoke College’s 3-1 Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) volleyball victory over Guilford College Friday night. Scores of the match were 25-13, 25-23, 23-25, 25-11. Roanoke ends its regular season with a 23-3 overall record (8-2 ODAC) and takes a 10-match winning streak into the ODAC Tournament Nov. 7-8 at Hollins University. Guilford falls to 5-22 (2-8 ODAC) with the loss, but remains mathematically alive in its bid for a trip to the eight-team ODAC tourney.
Marcy Conner put away four of her 12 kills on .333 hitting in the first set as the Maroons grabbed an early 1-0 lead with a 25-13 triumph. Largen added four kills and an ace in the set. The Quakers rallied from a 22-15 deficit in the second set as Mary Moody served up eight straight points to give the hosts a 23-22 edge. Following a Roanoke time-out, the Maroons sandwiched a Maggie Wagner kill around two Guilford errors to pull out the 25-23 win.
Guilford came back in the third set for a 25-23 win. The Quakers took advantage of 10 Roanoke hitting errors in the set, but Roanoke erased a 16-11 deficit and tied the match on a Largen kill that made the score 19-19. The teams traded points before Bethany Hawks got a fortuitous kill to give the Quakers a 24-23 lead. Following a Roanoke time-out, Anna Miller and Shanika Tunnell combined for one of the Quakers’ seven blocks on the night, which ended the set.
The Quakers could not continue the momentum as the Maroons jumped out to a quick 6-1 lead in the fourth set. Roanoke hit .393 as a team in the final set as Largen and Conner combined for eight blocks.
Wagner added nine kills and a match-high 21 digs on the night. Caitlyn Long had 39 assists and four service aces, both match highs,
Courtney Kozar paced Guilford’s attack with 11 kills and added nine digs. Miller finished with four kills, a team-high 14 digs, three service aces and two blocks. Rookie Emma Gunn added seven kills and two blocks.
The contest marked Guilford’s Dig for A Cure Match, as the teams wore pink hair ribbons to promote breast cancer awareness. Guilford team members solicited donations for each dig made and took donations at the match for the benefit of the Susan G. Komen Foundation. The final amount raised is not yet available.
Guilford returns to action Oct. 30 against visiting Ferrum College in a 6:30 p.m. nonconference match.