Statesmen Drop Pair of Narrow Decisions to Salem in Season Opener
SOUTH PRINCE GEORGE, VA — The Richard Bland College beach volleyball team battled in a tightly contested doubleheader against Salem College Saturday afternoon, but fell just short in both matches as the Spirits claimed two 2-3 victories. Each dual came down to the final courts, with the Statesmen showing resilience throughout the day.
In the opener, Salem edged RBC despite strong efforts across the lineup. At the No. 1 position, Taelin Connolley and Daniela Sardina pushed the Spirits to three sets; 22-20, 17-21, 15-9.
Aliyah Millner and Kaylie Klemm secured a key point for the Statesmen in the No. 5 spot, outlasting the Spirits in a thrilling straight-set win, 21-19, 27-25. Gabrielle Meador and Averi Hawtin (No. 2), Rachelle Martin and Clara Coles (No. 3), and Braelyn Boyd and Kristen Mathes (No. 4) competed tough but were unable to swing the overall result, as Salem claimed the 2-3 match victory.
The second dual proved just as competitive. Connolley and Sardina showed poise in the No. 1 pairing with a strong 21-13, 21-19 win to give RBC early momentum. Martin and Coles added another point in the No. 4 pairing, defeating the Spirits 21-17, 21-12 to even the match score. Salem secured victories at Nos. 2, 3, and 5 to clinch another narrow 2-3 decision, but the Statesmen continued to show resilience across the lineup.
Final match scores are below:
Match 1: Richard Bland vs. Salem College: Statesmen fall 2-3
Pair 1: Taelin Connolley and Daniela Sardina vs Jolina Bun and Sadie Rich 22-20, 17-21,15-9
Pair 2: Gabrielle Meador and Averi Hawtin vs McKenzie Tullock and Ellie Scherer 12-21, 17-21
Pair 3: Rachelle Martin and Clara Coles vs Leah Rymer and Olivia Torres 13-21, 8-21
Pair 4: Braelyn Boyd and Kristen Mathes vs Taylor Cook and Ariana Noplos 18-21, 18-21
Pair 5: Aliyah Millner and Kaylie Klemm vs Polly Lennie and Molly Enos 21-19, 27-25
Match 2: Richard Bland vs. Salem College: Statesmen fall 2-3
Pair 1: Taelin Connolley and Daniela Sardina vs Jolina Bun and Sadie Rich 21-13, 21-19
Pair 2: Gabrielle Meador and Averi Hawtin vs McKenzie Tullock and Ellie Scherer 16-21, 12-21
Pair 3: Braelyn Boyd and Kristen Mathes vs Leah Rymer and Olivia Torres 10-21, 10-21
Pair 4: Rachelle Martin and Clara Coles vs Taylor Cook and Ariana Noplos 21-17, 21-12
Pair 5: Aliyah Millner and Kaylie Klemm vs Polly Lennie and Molly Enos 9-21, 9-21
RBC Beach Volleyball will next host Southern Virginia University on Tuesday, February 24th in a 1pm doubleheader at the Statesman Beach Courts on the Richard Bland campus.
For the full schedule and updates throughout the season, visit https://www.rbcathletics.com/sports/beachvball/2025-26/schedule or follow @richard_bland_volleyball on social media.