BLUEFIELD – Ouch.  Yellow Jacket stings are painful. Women's volleyball experienced such Friday night at the Dome Gymnasium as the Allen University Yellow Jackets defeated the Rams in four games in an Appalachian Athletic Conference match.
Bluefield scored the game's first point, but then Allen reeled off seven unanswered to take a commanding lead in game one. Down seven the Rams climbed back, first to within three and later to within two, then, a point on Camry McCroskey's kill. The Rams drew even when an Allen return went out. BC took its first lead, 15-14 on a Hannah McElroy block. The teams exchanged the lead with several ties the remainder of the opening game with Allen taking game one 25-23.
The early lead in game two belonged to the Rams who built an early four-point lead only to see the Yellow Jackets erase it quickly. AU went up by three at which time the Rams took time. After the time out BC scored two straight points to come to within a point of the lead, but Allen extended its advantage to its biggest of the game, six points. Allen took game two 25-17.
Game three saw the Rams again take the early lead only to see Allen tie and forge ahead. Allen went ahead by as many as five, but BC managed to tie things at 13. However, AU then reeled off three unanswered to retake the lead. Down 21-17 BC used its first time out of the third game. The Rams battled but fell in game three and took a 26-25 lead forcing Allen to take time. The Rams took game three 27-25.
The teams battled nip-and-tuck in the fourth game, no more than two points separating them and ties throughout. Allen took a late 20-17 lead, its biggest of the game. Bluefield stormed back and tied at 22 and again at 23 and took the lead 24-23. After a tie at 24, Allen went on top 25-24 and the Jackets took the win 26-24.
Prior to the game McCroskey was recognized for earning her 1,000^th career dig in the Rams' game against Milligan on Oct. 17. McCroskey entered Friday night's game with 1,004 career digs. She finished Friday's game with 11 digs, 37 assists and five kills. Katie Kendrick had a team-high 11 kills while McElroy, Kailee Kay and Kaleigh Barker each had eight kills. Barker had 26 digs and Kay had 18 digs.