Wittenberg 3, Ohio Wesleyan 0

Sept. 24, 2008

Sophomore middle hitter Lainey Kekic (Canfield/Western Reserve) and senior middle hitter Janna Dagley (Beavercreek) led the Ohio Wesleyan offense as the Bishops opened their North Coast Athletic Conference schedule by facing eighth-ranked Wittenberg on Wednesday at Branch Rickey Arena.

Wittenberg defeated the Bishops by scores of 25-14, 25-14, 25-18.

The Tigers raced to a 5-1 lead in the first set, getting kills from Kate Snead, Kathleen Graham and Jackie Williams. Ohio Wesleyan closed the gap to 7-5 on a kill by sophomore outside hitter Sam Owen (Westerly, R.I./The Prout School), but the Tigers answered with a 5-0 burst that included a pair of kills from Katherine Yuskewich and a pair of service aces by Katie Sumner. The Bishops rallied to within 17-12 on kills by Dagley, sophomore middle hitter Stacey Tighe (Lewis Center/Olentangy) and Owen, but Snead compiled a pair of kills and a block to highlight a set-ending 8-2 run for the Tigers.

Williams pounded out 3 kills in the early going of the second set, helping Wittenberg to an 8-3 lead. Owen helped Ohio Wesleyan rally to within 9-6, but Leslie Clark had 3 kills and a block that help the Tigers pull away to a 21-10 lead, then added another kill and finished off the set with a service ace.

Ohio Wesleyan took the early lead in the third set, getting kills from junior outside hitter Kristin Kovach (Chagrin Falls/Kenston) and Kekic and a block by Tighe and Dagley on the way to an early 4-1 lead. The Bishops led, 11-6, after a Kekic kill and an ace by sophomore setter Sarah Marshall (Lima/Senior), but Wittenberg came back with a 6-1 run that included kills by Miranda Sagle and Kimmie Dyer to even the score at 12-12. Ohio Wesleyan tied the set at 15-15, but Wittenberg's Amy Cox recorded a kill to start off a 6-1 run that put the Tigers ahead for good.

Kekic and Dagley had 7 kills apiece to pace the Bishop attack, while Dagley's 3 blocks led the Bishop defense. Owen finished with 5 kills, Marshall had a team-high 24 assists, and junior libero Katie Schlaudt (Holland, Mich.) led the Bishops with 16 digs.