No. 16 Richard Bland Rallies Past Pitt in Four Sets

SOUTH PRINCE GEORGE, VA — The No. 16 Richard Bland College Women's Volleyball team kept its momentum rolling with a 3-1 home victory over Pitt Community College on Tuesday evening. The Statesmen rallied after dropping the opening set, winning by scores of 21-25, 25-18, 25-17, and 25-19 to improve to 14-3 overall and 4-1 in Region 10 play.

Richard Bland shook off a slow start behind a balanced attack and steady defensive presence. Sophomore outside hitter Taelin Connolley led the way with a match-high 16 kills, adding 15 digs, two aces, and two block assists to pace the Statesmen.

Freshman outside hitter Ava Ginn was highly efficient, producing 10 kills on a .600 hitting percentage while contributing six block assists. Sophomore Gabrielle Meador matched the energy with 11 kills at a .381 clip and chipped in two aces and 12 digs. Middle blocker Aliyah Millner delivered another strong performance, finishing with 10 kills on .438 hitting and four block assists, while Marisa Furner anchored the middle with five kills, three solo blocks, and six block assists.

The setting tandem of Kaylie Klemm and Rachelle Martin kept the offense in rhythm, combining for 50+ assists. Klemm dished out a match-high 35, while Martin added 15 assists and two service aces. Defensively, libero Kristen Mathes patrolled the back row with a team-high 22 digs.

As a team, the Statesmen recorded 58 kills at a .347 hitting percentage, totaled 20 block assists, and tallied six aces. After dropping the opening frame, Richard Bland surged ahead by controlling the net and limiting Pitt's scoring opportunities across the final three sets.

Currently, the following individuals are ranked in the top five of their respective stat categories for Region 10 DII Women's Volleyball:

• Taelin Connolley - #1 in Kills Per Set with 4.20
• Taelin Connolley - #1 in Kills with 256
• Marisa Furner - #2 in Blocks Per Set with 1.48
• Kristen Mathes - #1 in Digs Per Set with 5.74
• Kristen Mathes - #2 in Digs with 360
• Taelin Connolley - #5 in Digs with 252

Richard Bland returns home to Statesman Hall on Saturday, October 4^th to host a Region 10 quad-match. RBC will take on Southwest Virginia Community College at 10am, and Cleveland Community College at 4pm. At 12pm, Southwest Virginia Community College will take on Louisburg College, and at 2pm, Louisburg College will take on Cleveland Community College. The Statesmen will then travel to Sandhills Community College on Monday, October 6th for a 6pm match.

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