The Roanoke College volleyball team split four matches in their annual Maroon Classic last weekend. The event was held at the Cregger Center in Salem.
Roanoke split two matches on each day. On Friday they beat Mary Baldwin in three sets, but then lost to Piedmont in three. On Saturday they beat Ferrum, 3-0, before losing to Salem College in a close one, 3-2.
Against Mary Baldwin the Maroons recorded 24 aces, headed by Caitlin Sharkey and Emerson Kern, who each tallied six. Roanoke hit .345 as a team led by Kylah Blackmore, who had a match high six kills. Ryan Hedgpeth had six digs, while Kern had 10 assists.
In the match with Piedmont Meagan Smith and Blackmore each had 10 kills for the Maroons. Hedgpeth tallied 20 digs while Christen Zammit had 16 assists followed by Kern with 13.
On Saturday morning Meagan Smith had a game-high 10 kills as the Maroons defeated Ferrum. Hedgpeth had 21 digs and five aces while Zammit had 20 assists and 12 digs. Trailing 5-3 in the final set, Hedgepeth served three straight aces followed by a kill from Sydney Daniel to take the lead for good at the 9-6 mark.
The Maroons lost out on a chance for a winning record in the classic, and on the season, when they lost to Salem in five. The loss dropped the Maroons to 4-4 overall. In the fifth set that saw six ties, Salem broke away winning four of the final five points capped by a kill by Madelyn Chappell.
Blackmore recorded a double-double with 18 kills and 17 digs for RC while Smith joined her in double digits with 13 kills. Hedgpeth had 24 digs while Zammit dished out 23 assists and Kern tallied 21. Hedgpeth was named to the All-Tournament team.
The Maroons were scheduled to open ODAC play on Wednesday at Emory & Henry. Roanoke has two home matches this weekend at the Cregger Center, on Friday at 6:30 pm against Bridgewater and on Saturday at 1 pm against Eastern Mennonite.