Eagles Take Sixth Straight With Four-Set Win at Radford

RADFORD, Va. — The Winthrop University volleyball team downed Radford, 3-1, on Friday at Donald N. Dedmon Center. Paige Bennett stuffed the box score with 17 kills and 12 digs, while Lexi Thatcher delivered 41 assists and Giselle Little tallied 10 kills on .444 hitting with five total blocks.

The Eagles extended their winning streak to six matches, as Reece Rhoads has reached 10 or more kills in three straight matches. Torain has totaled 16 or more digs in four consecutive matches and Bowen has reached at least 10 kills in six consecutive matches. Thatcher has handed out 41 or more set assists in four consecutive matches while Bennett has finished with 17 or more kills in two straight matches.

Top Performers

Kills – Bennett (17), Little (10), Bowen (10)
Aces – Bennett (2), Sychterz (1), Torain (1)
Blocks – Little (5), Bennett (3), Bowen (2)
Assists – Thatcher (41), Torain (5), Alyah Cadavid (1)
Digs – Torain (16), Bennett (12), Lindsay Langner (10)

Set 1

• The Eagles moved ahead 7-5 on a Rhoads kill and a Radford attack error.
• Radford flipped the set with a Lea Gage ace, kills from Taryn Roberts, Macie Potter and Aubrey Hatch, and a Potter ace to take a 13-8 lead.
• Bennett and Little put down back-to-back kills, and Little teamed with Bennett on a block as the Eagles cut the margin to 13-11 before Bennett served an ace during a stretch that tied it 17-17.
• Radford went back in front 21-19, but the Eagles pulled even 21-21 and later moved ahead 24-22 on consecutive Bennett kills after Little had tied it 22-22.
• The Highlanders fought off set points and moved ahead 26-25, but Little tied the set before Rhoads delivered consecutive kills off Thatcher assists to close it out, 28-26.

Set 2

• The Eagles built a 5-2 lead on kills by Teagan Sychterz, Little and Bennett before Radford responded with three straight points to tie it 5-5.
• Rhoads hammered consecutive kills to push Winthrop ahead 8-5, and Thatcher answered a Radford 10-9 lead with a kill to tie it 10-10.
• The sides traded points to 14-14 before Radford scored four straight behind kills by Roberts and Ela Shepherd and two Eagles errors for an 18-14 lead.
• Winthrop cut the margin to 21-17 on a Sychterz kill and a Radford attack error, but Radford reached 24-19 on an Eagles attack error and closed the set on another, 25-19.

Set 3

• Radford erased an early 5-2 Eagles lead to tie the set 6-6, but Little’s kill put Winthrop back in front and Torain served the next four points for an 11-6 advantage.
• The Highlanders scored only single points as the Eagles pushed the margin to 17-10 on back-to-back Radford attack errors, and Bennett followed her kill with a service ace to make it 19-11.
• After Radford cut it to 19-13 and a service error returned the serve to Winthrop, Torain’s rotation produced a Radford attack error, a Sychterz kill and another attack error for a 23-13 lead.
• Rhoads added a kill for 24-14, and after a Radford point, Bowen’s kill from Thatcher sealed it, 25-15.

Set 4

• The Highlanders went ahead 5-2 early, but the Eagles edged in front 9-7 as Rhoads and Bowen each put down two kills during a four-point stretch.
• Radford tied it 10-10 on Mia Jannazzo’s ace before Bennett answered with a kill and the Eagles used blocks involving Little, Bennett and Bowen to go up 13-10.
• Winthrop led 17-15 on a Rhoads kill, but Radford scored four straight behind a Hatch kill and two Roberts kills to take a 19-17 lead.
• The Eagles pulled even 19-19 on kills by Bowen and Bennett, then broke a 21-21 tie with a Radford service error, a Bennett kill, a Little block and Bennett’s final kill to close it out, 25-21.

NEXT UP

The Eagles visit High Point on Saturday at 2 p.m. for a matchup of the preseason top two in High Point, N.C.

Story courtesy of Winthrop Athletics.