Granville, Ohio - The Denison volleyball team couldn't extend its winning ways Friday night as the Big Red fell at home to No. 19 Otterbein in a non-conference match. The Cardinals swept the Big Red (25-21, 25-16, 25-10), dropping Denison to 6-13 overall on the season.
Denison and Otterbein played back and forth in set one, with the Cardinals taking the first handle of the lead at 5-2. Denison surged back behind Cardinal miscues and a block from the tandem of
Emily Monachino and
Kate Sicklick, taking a 9-8 lead. The Big Red would then rally back from a 12-9 deficit to take a 14-13 lead on
Kate Sicklick's ace, but the 5-1 run was not enough to hold momentum.
Ryan Kotalik's service ace gave the Big Red an 18-17 edge, but the road team would end strong on an 8-3 run, scoring the final four points to take set one 25-21.
The Big Red started strong in the second set as the two sides played to an even 4-4 count, but a 6-1 run allowed Otterbein to begin to pull away. Denison clawed back within three behind two
Devon Moore kills, but the 11-8 score ballooned to a seven-point deficit, as Otterbein began to pull away. Sicklick and Moore helped the Big Red stay competitive in the set, but the large margin was too much to overcome, as Otterbein took a 2-0 lead with their 25-16 win.
In the final set of the night, Otterbein scored the first five points of the third set and later moved ahead 12-1, as Denison struggled to get a side out and get back in serve. The Denison attack could not recapture their spark in the first set, as Otterbein was able to stay in system throughout the game. The Cardinals won set three 25-10, ending the match in a 3-0 sweep.
Devon Moore led the Big Red with six kills to eclipsed 250 in her career, as the team recorded 25 in the loss. Sicklick finished with five kills on a .231 hitting percentage, adding one service ace and a block assist.
Whitley Metz recorded a team-high 16 digs and added four assists.
Katelyn Chiu paced the Big Red with 12 assists and collected six digs, and
Sarah McShane had four digs, eclipsing 250 in her first collegiate season.
Up Next: The Big Red volleyball team visits Capital University tomorrow morning, Saturday, Oct. 17, for a 10:30 a.m. match in Columbus, Ohio.
