Oberlin 3, Ohio Wesleyan 1

Oct. 22, 2008

Sophomore outside hitter Sam Owen (Westerly, R.I./The Prout School) and sophomore outside hitter Lainey Kekic (Canfield/Western Reserve) recorded double-digit performances for Ohio Wesleyan, but Oberlin won a North Coast Athletic Conference match on Wednesday at Branch Rickey Arena.

Oberlin won the match by scores of 25-23, 25-21, 20-25, 25-21.

The Bishops led most of the way through the first set, breaking a 6-6 tie with kills by sophomore outside hitter Alexa Bean (Columbus/Upper Arlington) and Kekic to take the lead, and getting kills from Bean and Owen and a block from senior middle hitter Janna Dagley (Beavercreek) and sophomore setter Sarah Marshall (Lima/Senior) on the way to a 17-12 lead. The Yeowomen rallied for the next 5 points, getting a block from Amanda Wysk and Maggie Jacobson and a kill from Rita Kaplon en route to tying the set at 17-17. After ties at 18, 19 and 21, the Bishops looked to end the set, getting points from Owen and Kekic to take a 23-21 lead only to see Oberlin rally for the final 4 points, with Anna Frackman recording a kill and Wysk scoring on a tip over the Bishop front line, for the 25-23 decision.

Oberlin raced to a 6-1 lead in the second set, with Frackman providing a kill and Kaitlyn Moushon zipping a service ace. The Bishops gradually closed the margin to 13-12, with Owen and Kekic providing 2 kills apiece and Dagley scoring twice on tips into the heart of the Yeowomen defense. Ohio Wesleyan was still within 20-18, but Oberlin's Sara Blankemeyer ended the Bishop rally with a kill and followed with an ace to stretch the lead to 22-18, and kills by Frackman and Elizabeth Wong put the Yeowomen on the doorstep at 24-19. Ohio Wesleyan rallied with points from Owen and sophomore middle hitter Stacey Tighe (Lewis Center/Olentangy), but Wysk answered with a kill to finish off the set for a 2-0 Oberlin lead.

Trailing, 10-9, in the third set, the Bishops reeled off 4 straight points to take the lead for good, with Dagley contributing a kill and Bean blasting a service ace along the way. Oberlin closed to within 15-14 on an ace by Blankemeyer, and were still within 19-18 when Ohio Wesleyan assembled a 6-2 run to close out the set, getting kills by Owen, Marshall and freshman outside hitter Sara Morris (Point White Mountain, Alaska/Mt. Edgecumbe) before ending the set on an Oberlin kill error.

Looking to square the match at 2 sets apiece, Ohio Wesleyan rallied from an early deficit to take an 8-7 lead, with Dagley kicking in 2 kills and Kekic and Marshall providing a kill apiece. Oberlin bounced back by scoring the next 5 points, sparked by a pair of kills from Frackman, and getting 2 more kills by Wysk for a 13-9 Yeowomen advantage. Frackman and Wong helped Oberlin open up a 17-12 lead, and the Yeowomen extended their edge to 20-14 before Ohio Wesleyan rallied. The Bishops got kills from Marshall and Kekic in shrinking the gap to 24-21, but Wysk ended the Ohio Wesleyan comeback and the match with a kill.

Owen led the Bishops with 12 kills, while Kekic finished with 10. Marshall had 38 assists for Ohio Wesleyan.

Defensive leaders for Ohio Wesleyan included junior libero Katie Schlaudt (Holland, Mich.), who had 19 digs, and Bean, who finished with 16 digs; and Dagley, who had 4 blocks.