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Carthage 3, Ohio Wesleyan 2

Senior outside hitter Eliza Richardson (Lakewood) established a career best and helped Ohio Wesleyan rally from a 2-0 deficit to send the match to a fifth set, but Carthage held on to defeat the Bishops during the first day of the Elmhurst University Invitational, hosted by Elmhurst University on Friday in Elmhurst, Ill.

The Firebirds defeated the Bishops by scores of 25-23, 25-17, 23-25, 17-25, 15-13.

Carthage jumped to a 4-0 lead in the first set, and after the Bishops closed to within 13-12 on a kill by sophomore outside hitter Grace Cummings (Columbus/Worthington Kilbourne), the Firebirds took off on a 6-0 run to extend the margin to 19-12.  Ohio Wesleyan chipped away at the deficit, closing to within 23-22 and 24-23 on kills by Richardson, but Kaitie Rohe delivered the final kill to give Carthage the set.

The Firebirds broke a 2-2 tie with 6 straight points, including 4 consecutive kills from Liv Carel, to take the lead in the second set.  Ohio Wesleyan pulled to within 20-15, but Rohe recorded a kill and followed with an ace to send Carthage on the way to a 2-0 lead.

Ohio Wesleyan trailed, 23-21, in the third set, with Carthage only 2 points from ending the match, when the Bishops rallied with consecutive kills from Richardson, junior outside hitter Kaitlyn Peters (Fort Wayne, Ind./Homestead), and Richardson again to take a 24-23 lead, and Ohio Wesleyan got the final point to narrow the margin to 2-1.

Richardson came through with a kill to break a 7-7 tie in the fourth set, with Cummings following with an ace and sophomore setter Olivia Osuna (Orlando, Fla./Phillips) adding a kill.  Two more Richardson kills helped the Bishops extend the lead to 14-8.  Carthage came back to within 19-16, but Ohio Wesleyan scored 5 straight points, including a block and an assist from sophomore middle blocker Claire Solberg (Huron), and got the final point on a Richardson kill.

With the score tied at 5 in the fifth set, the Firebirds ran off 5 straight points, getting a pair of Rohe kills during that stretch, to take a 10-5 lead.  Kills by Solberg, junior defensive specialist Neah White (Indianapolis, Ind./North Central), and Richardson helped the Bishops pull within 12-11, but Carthage got the next 2 points to set up match point.  A kill by sophomore middle blocker Ava Kutilek (Wilmette, Ill./New Trier) and a Richardson ace made it 14-13, but Carel ended the match with a kill on the ensuing point.

Richardson finished with a career-high 25 kills.  Osuna led the Bishops with 32 assists.  Solberg had 2 blocks, and White had a team-best 24 digs.

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