Posted: Nov 07, 2009
ROANOKE, Va. --- Roanoke defeated Lynchburg, 3-1 in the ODAC Semifinals, but fell to #1 seed Randolph-Macon in the ODAC Championship at Hollins University on Saturday. The loss ends the Maroons season with a 15-17 record.
In the ODAC Semifinals against Lynchburg, Roanoke won with scores of 25-21, 22-25, 25-23 and 25-12 in the 11 a.m. match. The Maroons avenged their early-season loss to the Hornets and advanced to their fourth ODAC Championship match in program-history, the first since 2001.
Maggie Wagner (Roanoke, VA, Cave Spring)led Roanoke with 20 kills to go with 25 digs while Kelsey Largen (Roanoke, VA, Cave Spring)totaled 16 kills and 14 digs. Kylie Lucas added five kills and four blocks (1 solo) in the win. Lynsey Ferris (Roanoke, VA, Northside)had four kills and three blocks (1 solo).
Caitlyn Long (Roanoke, VA, Cave Spring)totaled 40 assists to lead the Maroons in addition to 14 digs and four kills. Emily Martin (Daleville, VA, Lord Botetourt)had 26 digs.
The Maroons met up with #1 seeded Randolph-Macon in only the second #1 vs. #7 seed match-up in ODAC Volleyball Tournament history. Both teams were in search of its first ODAC Championship as the Yellow Jackets were playing in their first ODAC Championship match.
In a tight first set, R-MC held on in a 25-23 win. They took set two, 25-16 before Roanoke kicked in gear to take set three, 26-24. But the Cinderella story wasn't meant to be as the Yellow Jackets too the final set, 25-19 to end their season.
Wagner had 19 kills and 25 digs followed by Largen with 19 kills and nine digs in the loss. Lucas had kills and four block assists while Ferris finished with one block solo and three block assists.
Long, who was named Second-Team All-ODAC in last night's ceremonies, totaled 45 assists, 25 digs and three blocks (1 solo). Martin added 24 digs while Lindsay Wright (Vail, CO, Vail )posted a career-high in digs with 29 in her final collegiate match.
For Long, who was named to the 2009 ODAC All-Tournament Team, finished her storied career third in ODAC history in career digs with 1,709. Her 1,405 career assists are fifth all-time at Roanoke, in addition to second al-time in games played (413), matches played (121), third in single-season digs (454) and third in single-season games played (114).
Ferris ended her career ranked seventh all-time at Roanoke in career block assists (95), eighth in career blocks (184), 10th for blocks in a single-season (98), and passed her sister Ashley Ferris '05 in career block solos with 89.
Wagner, who made the All-ODAC Tournament Team, enters next season ranked sixth in career attacks (1876), eighth in career kills (652), and her 360 kills ranked her eighth in a single-season at Roanoke. Her 418 digs this season placed her fourth on that list.
Largen, who joined both Wagner and Long on the All-Tournament team, will enter her junior year with 594 career kills, which is 10th all-time at Roanoke. Martin enters next season as only the third player at Roanoke with Long with over 1,000 career digs (1,029). Her 467 digs this season was only 10 shy of breaking Long's 2007 single-season mark.
