Box Score
LIMA, Ohio – The Otterbein University volleyball team, ranked No. 12 in the latest AVCA national roll, absorbed a four-set loss at NAIA University of Northwestern Ohio Tuesday evening to fall to 9-4 on the season.
The Cards will look to get back on track this coming weekend, traveling to play four matches at the Carnegie Mellon University DoubleTree Invitational in Pittsburgh, Pa. Otterbein will open Friday with outings against Geneva College and the host Tartans.
Otterbein encoutered some traffic on the trip to Lima, pushing the start time of the 7 p.m. match back to 7:50 p.m. The Cardinals opened strong nonetheless, taking the first set, 25-22, before falling behind early in the second frame. The group battled back, but only to see UNOH ultimately escape with a 28-26 win to even the match at one set apiece.
The third set saw midway ties at 13-13 and 14-14 before Otterbein opened up a 23-20 advantage to force a Racer timeout. The Cardinals took a 24-23 lead as a result of a Northwestern blocking error, but the hosts rebounded to win three-straight points and secure the third set, 26-24.
UNOH hopped out to an 8-2 lead in the fourth, and Otterbein head coach Monica McDonald quickly used her second and final timeout of the set to help the team regroup.
The Cardinals did just that, later closing to within 13-12 as the set reached the halfway point. Otterbein had possession of serve trailing just 15-14, but the ensuing attempt sailed long to help keep UNOH in front.
Otterbein continued to play from behind the remainder of the set. Senior Annie Juenger blasted a kill up the left-side to keep the Cardinals within three, at 21-18, but the Racers would eventually play to a 25-21 fourth-set victory and improve to 10-1 on the season.
Juenger finished with a double double, coming up with 16 digs and a match-best 15 kills. Kim Barker and Maddy Shelley both recorded 10 each, while Kendel Kellogg chipped in nine.
Setter Tabatha Piper and middle Liz Palmer both tallied eight kills offensively. Piper also handed out a match-high 46 assists up front, the second most of the season behind her 58 against Defiance College. Senior libero Emily Caldwell ended the evening with a match and season-high 27 digs defensively.
The Cardinals posted a higher hitting percentage than their opponent, .215 to .209, but again struggled in the service game by committing 14 errors. UNOH was credited with nine service aces while Otterbein had three.
