No. 16 Richard Bland Sweeps Wake Tech and Forsyth Tech in Conference Tri-Match

SOUTH PRINCE GEORGE, VA — The No. 16 Richard Bland College Women's Volleyball team turned in a dominant showing on Saturday, sweeping both Wake Technical Community College and Forsyth Technical Community College in straight sets during a Region 10 tri-match in Raleigh. The Statesmen improved to 13-3 overall and 3-1 in conference play with the pair of victories.

Richard Bland opened the day with a 3-0 win over Wake Tech, taking control early and never looking back in set scores of 25-16, 25-9, and 25-20. The Statesmen hit an efficient .388 for the match while holding the Eagles to just .082. Sophomore outside hitter Taelin Connolley powered the attack with 16 kills on a .448 hitting clip while adding 11 digs and three blocks. Gabrielle Meador was equally sharp, tallying 11 kills on .455 hitting, while Marisa Furner chipped in eight kills on a .583 pace to go with six total blocks. Setter duo Rachelle Martin (17 assists, one ace) and Kaylie Klemm (22 assists, two aces) kept the offense rolling, while libero Kristen Mathes anchored the back row with 19 digs.

The Statesmen carried that momentum into their second match of the day, sweeping Forsyth Tech 25-17, 25-18, 25-21. Connolley once again led the way with 17 kills and 14 digs, while Meador added nine kills and a team-high seven service aces to pace the Statesmen from the line. Furner continued her steady production in the middle with six kills and five total blocks. Martin and Klemm combined for 34 assists, and Mathes registered a match-high 23 digs.

As a team, Richard Bland combined for 92 kills across the two matches while hitting .330 on the day. The Statesmen also dominated behind the service line, recording 18 total aces, and out-dug their opponents by a wide margin (115-74).

Richard Bland returns home to Statesman Hall on Tuesday, September 30^th for a Region 10 clash against Pitt Community College at 6pm. This game will take part as one of the "Guard the Grove" games and will be a "Green Wave" event. Wear your green and come out to support your Statesmen Women's Volleyball team!

Stay updated on all Women's Volleyball news at: https://www.rbcathletics.com/sports/wvball/index