The Basics:
Score: Randolph-Macon 3, Roanoke 0 (25-16, 25-22, 34-32)
Records: Yellow Jackets 7-5, 2-0 CVC, Maroons 5-5, 0-1 CVC
Location: Ashland, Va.

The Lead: The Roanoke men's volleyball team fell in their CVC opener at Randolph-Macon 3-0 to open a four-match weekend.

Highlights:

• The Maroons pulled within four points midway through the opening set at 16-12, but a four-point run by the Yellow Jackets pushed the lead back to eight at 20-12. Roanoke responded with a 3-0 run to get back within five, but R-MC answered by winning five of the last six points for the 25-16 set one win.
• The second set was much tighter than the first as neither team could lead more than two points until late when R-MC chipped ahead 23-19. The Maroons pulled back within just one at 23-22, but two points in a row by the Yellow Jackets gave them a 2-0 set lead.
• The third set was the first to reach 30+ points for either team this season for the Maroons with each team having a three-point lead early and midway through the set. The rest of the way no more than a two-point lead as on each of the first three set and match points for the Yellow Jackets, Roanoke answered immediately before earning their first set point at 28-27, and another at 29-28. Three more match points for R-MC were answered before the Yellow Jackets got an ace to win the set 34-32.

The Basics:
Score: Mount Union 3, Roanoke 0 (25-17, 25-20, 25-16)
Records: Purple Raiders 9-2; Maroons 5-6
Location: Ashland, Va.

The Lead: The Maroons dropped their second of back-to-back matches on the evening falling to the Purple Raiders of Mount Union.

Highlights:

• It was a close first set with each team earning multiple leads, none more than two points with the score tied at 17-17. A pair of points gave the Purple Raiders a 19-17 to force a Roanoke timeout. However, MU stayed on a hot streak to win the next six points to close out the first set 25-17.
• The two teams traded the lead to open the second set before the Purple Raiders extended their lead to 15-10. A 4-1 run pull the Maroons back within two and they kept it that way until the end of the set with the team from Ohio winning the final two points for the 25-20 set win and match lead 2-0.
• Mount Union used a string of small runs midway through the third set to pull away from the Maroons for the 25-16 set three win and then match victory 3-0.

By the Numbers:

• Jackson Rutkowski hit .409 in the first match of the day against R-MC with 11 kills with just two errors. Connor Brooks was close behind in the kill total with eight but committed just one error for a .583 attack percentage.
• Leo Houser finished with 26 assists against the Yellow Jackets.
• Both Pierce Faulcon and Michael Cummins finished with a team-high six kills against Mount Union with Faulcon hitting .308 in the match. CJ Kingston finished with five kills with just one error for a .400 against the Purple Raiders.

Up Next: The Maroons are back at it on Saturday, February 18 when they are in Harrisonburg for a pair of matches. Roanoke opens with their second match-up of the season against the host Royals at 10 a.m. and follows that up with a noon contest with Hood.