Randolph-Henry High School’s (R-H) varsity girls volleyball team has been competitive and within reach of adding victories to its record, but key injuries have delayed the development process.

On Thursday, R-H visited Buckingham County High School and fell narrowly, 3-2.

In their last match before Hurricane Florence interrupted the schedule, the Lady Statesmen visited Nottoway High School on Sept. 12 and fell 3-0.

“We played close during the second game with Nottoway … and then we had a girl go down injured during the third game,” Randolph-Henry Head Coach Nikki Elder said.

The girl Elder was referring to was senior setter/outside hitter Michaela Miller.

“She’s out for a couple weeks,” the coach said.

Miller is one of the team’s two setters on the floor; she both sets and hits from the right side.

“She’s a seasoned player, and so it really hurts to have her taken out,” Elder said.

Additionally, Miller’s backup is also injured.

“Lilian Jubb has stepped into her place, but she suffered an injury probably two weeks prior to Michaela with a thumb injury, which makes it very difficult to set,” Elder said. “So she’s pretty much just hitting now and not setting, and (Abby Clements is) our only setter at this point.”

Reflecting on her team’s 1-5 start, Elder said, “Injuries have made it difficult, but our middles are working really hard and the girls are just working really hard to try to correct some of the silly mistakes that we’ve been making and just trying to fill the gap from Michaela’s injury. We just need to work hard at finishing the game. They kind of get tired in a fourth and fifth (set), which we went five with Buckingham. That fifth (set) was difficult. They had just run out of steam.”

After hosting Cumberland County High School on Tuesday, R-H is set to visit Bluestone High School on Thursday at 7 p.m.