BRIDGEWATER, Va. - Bridgewater College men's volleyball was challenged by a pair of nationally recognized squads, falling to Randolph-Macon and No. 9 Southern Virginia in three sets each Saturday at home.  

The Basics 

Match 1 score: Randolph-Macon Yellow Jackets (RMC) 3, Bridgewater College Eagles (BC) 0 

Match 2 score: Southern Virginia Knights (SVU) 3, Bridgewater College Eagles (BC) 0 

How It Happened 

Match 1 

• The Yellow Jackets executed effectively right out of the gate, giving the Eagles an immediate challenge from the start. RMC jumped out to a 6-1 opening lead and bolstered to a staggering 17-10 lead after a potent four-point run. The Eagles could not bounce back from there as RMC made it difficult for the Eagles to find any traction in the opening set. RMC took the first set, 25-15. 

• In the same fashion as the first set, RMC pounced first to open the lead at 4-0. The Eagles struggled to find the lead the whole set. Multiple consecutive runs through the middle of the set laid solid momentum for RMC that BC could not break. The Jackets powered through without an attack error for a 25-12 second set score. 

• BC attempted to gain early momentum in the third set, but RMC quickly recovered and gained another strong hold with the help of a six-point run. The Eagles were stopped from any chance at rallying back while the Jackets found their way effectively through offensive sequences. A pair of four-point runs late in the set aided a successful win for the Jackets, and the final set score stood at 25-13. 

Match 2 

• The Eagles hung in close with SVU throughout the match, but the experienced nationally ranked squad found pieces in the offense to break away in three sets. In the opening set, BC battled with the Knights and encountered three quick lead changes that carried through the second half of the set. The Knights ahd issues in attack sequences, giving the Eagles an opportunity to apply pressure. The Eagles held a 14-11 lead with a glance at holding onto solid momentum, but SVU dwindled the deficit and did not give BC any more space to attack. More attack errors were limiting the Eagles late in the set, leaving an opening for SVU. SVU pieced together a three-point run to take the first set, 25-23. 

• Same as the first set, the Eagles stayed with SVU for most of the set. The Knights were able to exert late pressure to break away. Aiden Weaver continued to press forward through aggressive attacks to continue charging ahead to take the lead away from SVU. A kill by Connor Cayer knotted the set at 18 apiece. Each squad traded kills until SVU held a three-point run at the same point as the opening set and grabbed the second set at 25-21. 

• The Knights had found their rhythm in the third set, and the Eagles struggled to recover from the start of the set. After the Knights opened with a 10-2 advantage, SVU left no mistakes to counter. SVU commanded a 10-point run through half the set, and the Eagles could not find the rhythm or connections to stay close. SVU closed out the win with a final set score of 25-10. 

Game Notes 

Match 1 

• Bridgewater fell below in hitting percentage while RMC maintained an effective.406 percentage. 

• Aiden Weaver stood as the leading kills leader for the Eagles with nine kills. 

• The Eagles struggled to bring down their errors, which set them back to a deficit of 22 errors while RMC limited to eight errors. 

Match 2 

• The Eagles stayed aggressive despite a three-set defeat and totaled 81 total attempts to the Knights' 76. 

•  Seth Williams led the way for the Eagles for a season-high 10 kills. 

• Bridgewater was limited to 35 total points and 28 kills as SVU scored 56 points and benefited from 43 kills. 

Up Next 

The Eagles are back in action on March 11 on the road against Randolph at 7:30 p.m.