RADFORD, Va. — Gabrielle Gilbert piled up 28 kills across two matches Friday, but Norfolk State dropped both ends of a doubleheader at the Donald N. Dedmon Center, falling to Bellarmine 3-1 (25-20, 16-25, 11-25, 23-25) in the morning and to host Radford 3-0 (23-25, 15-25, 26-28) at night.
The Spartans (3-8) won the opening set against the Knights and pushed the Highlanders to extra points in the final set of the evening, but were out-aced 26-10 on the day.
MATCH 1: BELLARMINE 3, NORFOLK STATE 1 (20-25, 25-16, 25-11, 25-23)
Reagan Chisholm turned in the most efficient performance of her season, hitting .588 with 11 kills on 17 swings and adding five block assists for 13.5 points. Gilbert led the Spartans with 12 kills, three aces and 11 digs, and Jazeli Vandenburgh posted a match-high 19 digs.
Norfolk State hit .135 to Bellarmine's .203 and matched the Knights (5-4) with 9.0 team blocks, but Bellarmine served 13 aces to the Spartans' six.
Set 1 (NSU 25-20): Trailing 20-17, Norfolk State closed the set on an 8-0 run. Gilbert served seven straight points, including three aces, and Chisholm delivered back-to-back kills in the middle of the surge. A Chisholm-Jala Dixon block ended it.
Set 2 (BU 25-16): Abbie Lyttle served four consecutive points with three aces for a 7-1 Bellarmine lead, and the Knights stretched it out to 19-9. Kailia Phillips served three straight points late, including an ace, but Bellarmine closed it out.
Set 3 (BU 25-11): The Spartans hit minus-.111 and never led, falling behind 10-2 and 17-5. Bellarmine hit .379 in the frame.
Set 4 (BU 25-23): Norfolk State opened with three straight points on two blocks and later built a 20-15 cushion, with Kaden Sanders serving three consecutive points that included an ace and a Berry-Mataira block. Bellarmine answered with four in a row to get within 21-20 and closed the match on a 4-1 run from 22-21 down.
Natalie Bland and Mady Yaden each posted 12 kills for the Knights, Lyttle finished with seven aces and 11 digs, and Maddie Carnes recorded 33 assists and 13 digs.
MATCH 2: RADFORD 3, NORFOLK STATE 0 (25-23, 25-15, 28-26)
Gilbert matched her season high with 16 kills and 17.0 points, and the Spartans erased three set points in the third before Radford (5-8) finally closed it out in extra points.
Norfolk State hit .217 with only 11 attack errors and out-blocked the Highlanders 5.0-2.0, but Radford served 13 aces to Norfolk State's four.
Set 1 (RU 25-23): Back-to-back Vandenburgh aces put the Spartans ahead 16-9, and a Reagan Chisholm kill and a Chisholm-Gilbert block extended it to 21-16. Radford scored five straight, two of them on Rose Whitemountain aces, to tie it at 21, and after Norfolk State regained a 23-21 edge, the Highlanders took the last four points.
Set 2 (RU 25-15): Tied 11-11, Radford pulled away as Mia Jannazzo served four straight with two aces. Jasmine Mataira's ace cut it to 18-15, but the Highlanders finished the set on a 7-0 run, with Addison Cunnagin serving the final four points and adding two more aces.
Set 3 (RU 28-26): Isis Castille's solo block tied it at 20 and the Spartans trailed 24-21 before winning three in a row to force a 24-all tie. Norfolk State saved five set points in all, a Briana Ellis kill made it 25-25 and a Gilbert kill tied it at 26, before Taryn Roberts ended the match with consecutive kills.
Cunnagin led all players with 18.0 points on 12 kills and six aces. Maja Bochenek added 11 kills, Katrina Miller hit .471 with nine, Lea Gage handed out 26 assists and Jannazzo collected 13 digs.
UP NEXT
Norfolk State closes the weekend against UT Chattanooga at 1 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 19, at the Dedmon Center.
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