Box Score 1 | Box Score 2
Ohio Wesleyan 3, Transylvania 1
Ohio Wesleyan 3, Anderson 1

Sophomore outside hitter Melissa Murray (Chardon/Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin) and freshman middle hitter Ava Kutilek (Wilmette, Ill./New Trier) led the Ohio Wesleyan offense as the Bishops posted wins over 20th-ranked Transylvania and Anderson during the first day of the annual Bishop Invitational on Friday at Branch Rickey Arena.

Ohio Wesleyan defeated Transylvania by scores of 25-20, 19-25, 25-23, 25-19 and defeated Anderson by scores of 25-16, 13-25, 25-11, 25-19.

Against Transylvania, the Bishops wiped out an 11-9 deficit with an 8-0 burst that started with a Murray kill and included back-to-back service aces from Kutilek.  The second set saw Transylvania's Kaetlin Ethington record 3 kills during a 7-0 run that put the Pioneers ahead to stay.

The Bishops bounced back to score the last 4 points to win the third set, with Kutilek and Murray teaming up on a block and sophomore defensive specialist Alex Disbro (Guilford, Ind./East Central) zipping a service ace to end the set.  Disbro had a kill and freshman middle blocker Claire Solberg (Huron) added 2 more down the stretch to help Ohio Wesleyan close out the fourth set and take the match.

Murray led the Bishops with 13 kills, while Kutilek finished with 9 and Solberg added 8.  Sophomore setter Abby Thierauf (Cincinnati/Milford) collected 42 assists.  Kutilek recorded a team-high 7 blocks and sophomore defensive specialist Neah White (Indianapolis, Ind./North Central) had 23 digs.

Ohio Wesleyan closed out the first set of the Anderson match with a 5-1 spurt that included kills from senior outside hitter Paige Hale (McHenry, Ill./West), Murray, and sophomore outside hitter Kaitlyn Peters (Fort Wayne, Ind./Homestead), along with a Thierauf ace.  The Ravens answered in the second set, breaking a 6-6 tie with an 11-3 outburst that featured a kill and an ace by Sydney McClain.

Kutilek led the way as the Bishops took charge in the third set, chipping in 2 kills and 2 aces during a 7-0 run that turned a 3-3 tie into a 10-3 lead.  White contributed 3 consecutive aces later in the set.  In the fourth set, the Ravens were within 20-17 after a Shaylen Perry kill, but freshman right-side hitter Grace Cummings (Columbus/Worthington Kilbourne) delivered a pair of kills and junior outside hitter Eliza Richardson (Lakewood) added another during a 5-2 run to end the set and the match.

Kutilek finished with team bests of 8 kills and 3 blocks.  Murray added 7 kills and Peters and Richardson had 6 apiece.  Thierauf doled out 37 assists and shared the team lead with 13 digs.  Peters also finished with 13 digs.

Box Score - OWU-Transylvania
Box Score - OWU-Anderson