Battling Bishops Split Doubleheader at Maroon Classic

In a dramatic and demanding day at the Maroon Classic in Salem, the N.C. Wesleyan women's volleyball team battled through two tightly contested matches, earning a thrilling comeback win against Randolph before falling in a heartbreaker to Roanoke.

Match 1: Wesleyan Rallies Past Randolph, 3–2

Wesleyan's first match of the day came against an undefeated Randolph squad. After dropping the opening two sets 25–16 and 25–21, the Bishops flipped the script with gritty performances in Sets 3 and 4, edging Randolph 25–16 and 25–21 to force a decisive fifth set. Ultimately, NCW completed the turnaround with a 17–15 victory in Set 5 to seal a 3–2 comeback win.

On the stat sheet, Wesleyan tallied 52 kills on 163 attempts (.160 hitting percentage), outdueling Randolph's 44 kills on 163 attempts (.153). Emilee Wilson paced the offense with a team-high 40 assists, while Ashley Hinton (11 kills), Lillian Rafferty (10 kills), and Sadie Schramm (9 kills) provided consistent firepower. Wilson's serving also sparked momentum—she recorded 11 aces, with Jadyn Smith chipping in three and Hinton adding two. On defense, Smith anchored the back line with a match-high 25 digs, followed by Wilson's 16 and Hinton's 15.

Match 2: Tough 2–3 Loss to Roanoke

Just hours later, the Bishops faced off with Roanoke in a nail-biter that went the distance. Wesleyan seized the first set 25–23, but Roanoke rallied to take the next two, 25–21 and 25–23. Responding with grit, NCW captured Set 4 25–21, pushing the match to a fifth and decisive frame. In the end, Roanoke pulled out a 15–11 victory in Set 5, outlasting a resilient Bishop effort and earning the 3–2 win.

Despite the loss, Wesleyan showcased offensive balance with 59 kills on 175 attempts (.183), not far behind Roanoke's 65 kills on 187 attempts (.198). Ashley Hinton was the standout performer, tallying a match-high 18 kills. Fiona Egan added 10 kills and Sadie Schramm contributed 9. Emilee Wilson once again directed the offense from the service line, delivering an impressive 50 assists, with Jadyn Smith and Chloe Baggett each adding key serving pressure—Smith with three aces and Baggett with two. On defense, Smith led with 18 digs, followed by Hinton's 13 and Baggett's 12.

Looking Ahead

The Bishop squad will be back in action at the Roanoke Classic on Saturday with tilts versus Carolina University and Hollins University.