SPRINGFIELD, Ohio – The Ohio Wesleyan University volleyball team rode a five-match winning streak into the NCAC tournament semifinals as they traveled to Wittenberg Friday evening to square off with second-seeded John Carroll. Unfortunately, the third-seeded Battling Bishops' season ultimately came to an end, as the Blue Streaks proved to be too much, defeating OWU 3–1.

The Red and Black concluded their season on a strong note, winning seven of their final 10 matches to finish 15-14 overall. The Bishops rounded out NCAC play with a 5-2 mark, good for third place. John Carroll advances to the NCAC tournament final with an impressive 21-8 record, having dropped just one conference match to finish 6–1 in league play.

The Bishops and Blue Streaks were tied 7-7 early in the opening set, but John Carroll surged ahead with a 9-0 run, quickly building a sizable deficit for OWU. The Red and Black were unable to close the gap, ultimately dropping the set 25-14. 

John Carroll continued to execute in set two, building an early 9-4 lead. The Bishops struggled to respond, falling 25-16 as the Blue Streaks dominated the remainder of the set.

With their season at stake, the Bishops needed a strong response in set three. They did just that, as the squad took the opening point and led the rest of the way. Natalie Dieball and Megan Lantis each contributed three kills for the Red and Black, lifting the Bishops to a 25-16 set victory. 

The Blue Streaks answered quickly in set four, as the squad jumped out to a 7-1 lead. Similar to the first two sets, the Bishops had trouble chipping away at the John Carroll lead. OWU was outscored 19-16 the rest of the set, falling 25-17 and losing the match 3-1.

THE NUMBERS
OWU tallied 39 kills to JCU's 51. Natalie Dieball and Jordanne Shannon led the Bishops with 10 each. Megan Lantis had eight. 

The Battling Bishops recorded three service aces, with Dieball accounting for two. Abby Nulph notched the other. 

The Red and Black made four blocks. Shannon led the way with one and a half block assists, followed by Dieball with one. 

Lily Bechina was the leading setter once again, compiling 31 of 32 assists in the contest. 

Bella Guzzetta paced the Bishops with 22 digs, Lily Bechina recorded 16, and Avery Krause added 14.