ASHLAND, Va. -- Marymount men's volleyball opened their 2025 season on the road, taking on Randolph-Macon Wednesday evening. 

Falling 3-1, the Saints will look to bounce back at home on Thursday in their first home match of the season.

NOTABLE

• Jonathan Pickering knocked a team-high nine kills, adding three block assists and five digs for 10.5 total points.
• Luke Pogue hit at a .545 clip en route to seven kills on the night with four block assists.
• Diego Peña had seven kills, while also posting a team-high 14 assists, with four block assists and digs, good for 9.0 points.
• First-year Ethan Li powered five kills in the loss, adding a trio of digs.
• Joseph Crowder added 13 assists.
• Nickolas Blose notched five kills.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Marymount opened the first set with a 7-3 run, with two kills from Pickering in the mix, to get the offense started on a high note.
• With the Yellow Jackets getting within one, the Saints put together a 6-to-2 run, capped off by a kill from Pogue, to take a five point lead.
• R-MC clawed their way back to take a 19-18 lead, putting Marymount in a tricky spot in the first set of action.
• A 7-3 run from the Saints helped them claim set one, with Pickering powering the decisive kill.
• MU traded blows with the hosting Yellow Jackets, looking at a 5-5 score in the early part of set two.
• Down 14-7, the Saints capitalized on key mistakes and with a kill from Peña, put themselves within four.
• Randolph-Macon extended their lead to 19-12, and the Saints continued to try to answer, but down the stretch the Yellow Jackets came out on top in set two.
• A 9-to-4 run from Randolph-Macon put the Saints behind the eight ball early in the third set of the evening.
• Gavin Poe gave the Saints some life, knocking back a solo block to put MU within two.
• The Saints continued to remain close, but the Yellow Jackets had answers to the momentum shifters, taking set three.
• A kill from Peña gave the Saints a 5-4 lead early in the fourth, looking to earn the equalizer.
• The Yellow Jackets never gave up the lead down the final points, giving the Saints the loss in the season opener.

UP NEXT

• Marymount will have their first home match of the season this Thursday, Jan. 16, at 7 PM.
• They will take on Stevenson.