MOUNT BERRY, Ga. - The Vikings split a pair of games at the Emory National Invitational with a dominant 3-0 victory over Randolph-Macon and a tough 3-1 loss to Emory.  

Game One: Berry - 3 Randolph-Macon – 0 

The Vikings were dominant in their matchup against Randolph-Macon, scoring 53 points on 40 kills to just 23 points on 20 kills for the Yellow Jackets.  

Leading the effort was junior phenom Madie Whitehead with 13 kills. Stepping up in a support role was Cadence Maxfield, who rattled off 23 assists to guide the Viking attackers. Andrea Hurt led the way defensively as usual with 11 digs to anchor the backline.  

It was all Vikings from the get-go, as Whitehead received a pass from Ava Brovet, who slammed home a kill to start things off. With a 3-2 lead a few moments later, Berry found their firepower with 6 straight points to take control, 9-2. As the set went on, Berry's cohesiveness and team play continued to shine. They scored 10 out of the last 14 points of the first set to win the first set 25-13, fueled by big plays from Whitehead and Shelby Harris, who played a key role in the victory as well.  

The second set brought more of the same dominant action from Berry. A balanced scoring effort that saw 6 different Vikings generate points led to a commanding 17-5 lead in the second set. The set finally came to a close with Izzy Baldwin and Cadence Maxfield stepping in front and blocking a Yellow Jacket attack to give them a 25-12 second set win. 

After falling behind 2-1 in the third set, Berry rowed their way back into the lead with haste, as Blakely Barnes scored an ace and then generated back-to-back kills to make the lead 5-2. The offensive barrage continued with back-to-back kills from Ailee England followed by back-to-back aces from Kara Schmit to make it a 12-4 ball game. Smelling blood in the water, Berry closed the door with Shelby Harris bringing the house down with 4 straight kills for the Vikings to put the game out of reach, leaving the set 3 score at 25-14 to cap off an impressive win for the Vikings. 

Game Two: Emory – 3 Berry – 1 

The Vikings fought a hard battle against the Emory Eagles on Saturday. As a result of shifting momentum from both teams, the Vikings got conquered on the road at the Emory National Invitational. 

The Vikings came out of the gate strong with a 3-1 lead, with starting momentum from Keira Kruk and Cali Armstead. With every kill the Vikings executed, the Eagles answered back in similar fashion. After the Eagles took the lead later in the 1st, the Emory crowd remained electric, making gameplay more difficult for the Vikings. Nearing the end of the 1st, Lura Underwood and Madie Whitehead added kills to the board, tying the set 21-21. Armstead and Kruk then put the nail in the coffin, winning the set 25-23 

Entering the 2nd set, the Eagles' hunger for a win was palpable. The same early-set story continued with yet another close back and forth exchange. Within the first couple of minutes, 4 lead changes occurred. This mounted pressure onto the Vikings, ushering in a couple of timeouts. Entering the latter half of the 2nd, the Vikings tried to snatch the lead from the Eagles, tying them twice. As the set ended, the Eagles tied the game 1-1, even with impressive performances from Whitehead and Kruk. 

Throughout the 3rd and 4th set, Emory didn't let their foot off the gas pedal, anchoring more dramatic leads later in the game. Emory saw through the Vikings strong chemistry, leading to a 3-1 Eagles Victory. In total, Madie Whitehead led the Vikings in kills, and Ava Brovet led in Assists. 

The Vikings plan to pick up the pieces in the SAA Tournament against the Rhodes Lynx on Thursday.