Written Sept. 2 2009 by Ed Syguda

WESTERVILLE, OHIO—Otterbein opened the 2009 season with a strong 3-0 win over Ohio Wesleyan Tuesday evening in the Rike Center.

The Cardinals opened the match with a 25-23 win in game one, and then zipped through the final two, winning by scores of 25-17 and 25-11.

“I was really impressed with the way this young team opened the season,” said head coach Monica McDonald, who is in her third season at Otterbein. “We battled through a tough first game and then we didn’t let up.  I thought that my upperclassmen showed confidence and poise, and I think that the freshmen worked out some of their jitters.”

Freshman middle hitter Ally Nagle paced the Cardinal attack with 12 kills in the match. Nagle finished with a team-high .556 hitting percentage, along with five blocks. Sophomore defensive specialist Renee Willke led the team with eight digs while freshman setter Lydia Wynkoop contributed a team- best 15 assists.

“It is always great to win your first game, but we play Ohio Wesleyan two more times this fall,” McDonald said. “We will have to continue to improve if we expect to keep the upper hand.”

The Cardinals travel to Ohio Wesleyan for a tournament this weekend. The squad opens play Friday with games against Grove City at 6 p.m., followed by Ohio Wesleyan at 8 p.m. Otterbein is scheduled to face Transylvania, 10 a.m., Saturday followed by Wooster at 2 p.m.