Granville, Ohio - The Denison women's volleyball team notched its first win of the 2026 season on Friday afternoon, taking down Franciscan University 3-2 in another five-set grind. The Big Red finished the third act of the day's tri-match with a home match against Washington & Lee, falling in straight sets. Denison ends the day with a 1-2 overall record on the young season.
Match One | Denison 3-2 Franciscan
For the second time in as many tries this season, the Big Red needed five sets to determine a winner, as Denison ground out a lengthy five-set match that saw 33 ties and 17 lead changes to win in five over Franciscan.
The first set went to the road team, as the Lady Barons led early despite strong offense from
Devon Moore and
Carolina Parkhurst. Denison would overcome a 12-11 deficit and pull in front 18-15, but Franciscan mounted a comeback, taking the lead 19-18 behind a 4-0 run. An attack error would bring the set level at 19, sparking a 5-0 run that featured a pair of
Kate Sicklick service aces. The sprint gave Denison a 23-19 lead; however, it was not enough to close out the win, as Franciscan ripped a 6-0 run to stun the home team and take set one 25-20.
Denison would answer the call in sets two and three, winning by identical scores of 25-22.
Ayla Dunbar and Emily Monachinco's attacks steadied the offense, while productive trips at the service line from
Amelia Kurtz kept the Lady Barons at bay throughout both sets. Denison finished the second set on a 3-0 run, winning the contest on consecutive Franciscan errors, and in the third, a 7-1 run helped the home team close out the win.
The Big Red overcame a 14-7 deficit in their third set, gaining momentum from the combination of
Maeve Perry, Dunbar, Sicklick, and Monachino.
Ayla Dunbar closed out set three with a kill to give Denison a 2-1 lead.
In set four, Denison dug themselves an early hole, falling behind 7-4. Franciscan would keep their hold on the lead until the Big Red clawed back to take a lead, but runs of 6-0 and 4-0 could not give the home team enough momentum to take a set victory, falling in the fourth set 25-21.
Leaving the match to a decisive fifth for the second time in the young season, the Big Red and Lady Barons duked back and forth, with Denison taking the first hold of the lead at a 7-5 edge. Franciscan would rally back and pull in front 11-8, but a swing from Monachino and service ace from Dunbar would kill the momentum, bringing Denison back to life. Trailing 13-11, a 3-0 run fueled by two Franciscan errors pulled the home team on top, and after facing three match points with the lead and three while trailing, Denison got the match-clinching spark from
Emily Monachino and
Ayla Dunbar, as the two hitters put the final nail in the 20-18 coffin, winning the match 3-2.
For the second consecutive match,
Emily Monachino recorded a triple-double, logging 16 kills, 21 assists, and 16 digs. Monachino hit .224 in the win.
Ayla Dunbar led the team in kills with 19, and
Devon Moore had 13 to fueld the Big Red.
Sarah McShane put up a team-best 26 digs in the win, while
Amelia Kurtz led Denison in assists with 25.
Kate Sicklick had five of the team's 10 service aces, and
Carolina Parkhurst enjoyed a team-best three total blocks
Match Two | Denison 0-3 Washington & Lee
In the finale of the opening week of the season, a fatigued Denison squad got out to a slow start against Washington & Lee, falling behind 9-1 early in set one. The Big Red would start to turn play around, but were unable to bring the early set one margin closer than six points, falling by a 25-14 final.
Denison would fight over the remaining two sets, starting stronger than the first game with a spark from setter
Katelyn Chiu. Chiu racked up three early assists and steadied the offense, helping Denison push in front 12-10.
Devon Moore and
Ayla Dunbar were the primary targets of both Chiu and
Sarah McShane; however, the strong play that featured a 5-0 run would soon fade, as the Generals bounced back with a run of their own. Washington & Lee reclaimed the lead at 16-14 and did not look back once they obtained it, as they powered their way to a 25-19 set two win.
The Big Red saved its best for last in the Friday finale, scoring the first point of the third set and racing out to a 6-3 lead. Denison led at the pivotal 10th and 15th points, but the margin narrowed as play continued, with the Generals using a 7-1 run to claw within two. Four consecutive points for Denison, scored by
Kate Sicklick slowed the Washington & Lee attack, but another run of a 5-1 count dampened the spirits of the home team, as the visitors took the lead. Two kills from
Ayla Dunbar would tie the set in the last eight rallies; however, it would be too late, as Washington & Lee won the final set 25-22 to sweep Denison.
Ayla Dunbar was the bright spot offensively, as she led the way with 10 kills on 28 attacks.
Devon Moore had eight, and
Emily Monachino had five, recording 10 digs and 10 assists to extend her double-double streak to three matches to open the season.
Katelyn Chiu had 12 assists and digs for a double-double, and
Sarah McShane had 14 digs.
Maeve Perry logged two digs and a team-best two total blocks, one of which was a solo.
UP NEXT: The Big Red conclude their season-opening four-match home stand on Tuesday, September 8, when they host Washington and Jefferson. The match begins at 7:00 p.m. in Livingston Gymnasium.
