Box Score
Ohio Wesleyan 3, Otterbein 1

Senior right-side hitter Melissa Murray (Chardon/Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin) and freshman outside hitter Natalie Dieball (Cincinnati/Lakota East) led the Ohio Wesleyan offense as the Bishops opened their home season with a non-conference win over Otterbein on Wednesday at Branch Rickey Arena.

The Bishops defeated the Cardinals by scores of 25-21, 25-23, 22-25, 25-21.

Ohio Wesleyan wiped out a 6-3 deficit with an 8-0 run in the first set, with senior middle blocker Claire Solberg (Huron) contributing a kill and assisting on 4 blocks, teaming with junior right-side hitter Grace Cummings (Columbus/Worthington Kilbourne) on 3 of them.  Otterbein closed to within a single point on 2 occasions, the latter at 22-21, but the Bishops finished off the set with a kill by Cummings, an ace from junior setter Olivia Osuna (Orlando, Fla./Phillips), and a kill by senior outside hitter Kaitlyn Peters (Fort Wayne, Ind./Homestead).  The Cardinals took a 12-7 lead in the second set on a kill by Maddie Mergen, but the Bishops outscored the visitors, 14-5, as Murray and Dieball had 3 kills apiece.  With the score tied at 23, Dieball came through with a kill to put the Bishops ahead to stay, and Ohio Wesleyan closed out the set on a Cardinal setting error.

Otterbein opened the third set with a 6-1 run that included 2 kills from Mergen, and the Cardinals extended the lead to 16-6 on a Morgan Hartman kill.  The Bishops trailed, 19-9, when Solberg teamed up on blocks for 3 straight points, and after Peters chipped in 3 kills, Ohio Wesleyan was within 23-17.  Murray followed with 2 more kills during a 5-0 run that made it 24-22, but the Cardinals ended the set on a service error, staying alive in the match.  In the fourth set, Otterbein was within 17-16 after a Hartman kill, but a Peters ace and a Dieball kill gave the Bishops a 4-point lead, and 2 kill from Murray helped make it a 23-19 margin.  Cummings then delivered a kill to end the set and the match.

Murray led the Bishops with 15 kills, while Dieball added 10.  Osuna recorded 26 assists.  Solberg finished with 8 block assists, tying for third place on the Bishops single-match list.  Senior defensive specialist Neah White (Indianapolis, Ind./North Central) led Ohio Wesleyan with 26 digs.

Box Score