SPRINGFIELD, Ohio — Denison fell to Wittenberg 3-0 on Saturday to open NCAC play, as the Big Red were swept in straight sets. Denison falls to 4-10 overall on the season after the conference-opening defeat, beginning conference play 0-1.
The Tigers opened the first set with five straight points before Big Red worked back to 6-4. Denison pulled even at 8-8 as they came ready to play in the conference opener, as a block solo from
Maeve Perry eventually put them on top 11-9. The set stayed tight through 19-19 as Wittenberg tied the game, but the Tigers followed with four straight points to move ahead 23-19.
Maeve Perry and
Kate Sicklick added late kills for the Big Red as they tried to rally back, but the Tigers closed the set 25-21, taking a 1-0 lead.
The second set moved point-for-point through 11-11, with the Big Red getting early kills from several players as neither side led by more than one. Wittenberg broke the trend with the next three points, as they moved in front 14-11. Denison cut the margin back to a pair after Wittenberg reached their 16th point, however, the Tigers scored the next five points to build a 21-14 lead. Wittenberg withstood some late Denison pressure from
Maile Garrett, but would right the ship to close a 25-18 win.
Trailing 0-2, Denison couldn't keep up with Wittenberg in the final set, as a 10-0 run broke the set open after the Big Red took a 6-5 lead. Behind in the set 15-6,
Kate Sicklick scored a kill to end the run, but the road team was unable to carry the momentum, as they fell in the final set of the sweep 25-9.
Maeve Perry led Denison in kills with seven in the loss, as the team managed 22 kills overall and hit .050 as a team.
Emily Monachino had 12 assists and four kills in the loss, and
Sarah McShane had a team-best 11 digs as well as two service aces. Perry had two of the team's four blocks on the day.
Up next, the Big Red travels to Tiffin, Ohio, to face Heidelberg University on Tuesday, Sept. 29, at 7 p.m. at Seiberling Gymnasium.
