UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS, Ohio – The Ohio Wesleyan University volleyball team traveled up to the Cleveland area on Saturday for a doubleheader with John Carroll and Buffalo State, hosted at JCU. The Battling Bishops would split the day, dropping their first match to John Carroll 3-1 but following up with a five-set win over Buffalo State, 3-2.
Ohio Wesleyan is now 6-8 overall and 0-1 in conference play as the match with JCU was their first as NCAC opponents.
GAME ONE: OHIO WESLEYAN 1-3 JOHN CARROLL
The day got off to a slow start in game one as the Bishops dropped the opening set 25-22. OWU would take set two 25-21 before being outplayed 25-11 in set three and ultimately surrendering the match with a 25-23 result in set four.
Megan Lantis tallied a team-high 11 of 44 kills for the Red and Black.
Reagan Brake recorded nine and
Natalie Dieball recorded seven.
The Battling Bishops dropped in seven aces, led by Dieball with three and
Lily Bechina,
Bella Guzzetta,
Maggi Wall, and
Jenna Ashbrook all with one.
Ohio Wesleyan tied their four-set season-high of 10 total blocks, led by
Abby Nulph with five and Bechina and Brake with four each.
Bechina was the leading setter with 30 assists, followed by Ashbrook with six.
On defense, OWU ended with 63 digs, led by Guzetta with 16,
Avery Krause with a season-high 13, and Dieball with 12.
GAME TWO: OHIO WESLEYAN 3-2 BUFFALO STATE
The Battling Bishops bounced back in game two after alternating with Buffalo State in the first four sets. OWU would take sets two and four by scores of 25-16 and 27-25 after suffering losses of 25-19 and 25-23 in sets one and three. Ohio Wesleyan then secured the win in the all-deciding fifth set with a 15-11 margin.
The Red and Black recorded 62 kills led by
Jordanne Shannon with 15,
Natalie Dieball with 11, and
Reagan Brake with 10.
The Bishops put up their second highest five-set service ace total of the season with nine. Dieball led with a season-high four followed by
Jenna Ashbrook with two, and
Lexi Manly,
Avery Krause, and
Maggi Wall all with one.
The Battling Bishops outblocked Buffalo State 7-1. Brake recorded five, followed by
Abby Nulph with two.
Ashbrook had half of OWU's 44 assists with 22.
Lily Bechina notched 12 and Guzzetta had three.
On defense, Ohio Wesleyan made their second-most five-set dig total of the season with 81. Guzzetta tallied 18, Dieball had 17, and Ashbrook brought 12.
UP NEXT
The Bishops are back at home on Wednesday, hosting Muskingum at 7 p.m.
