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SPRINGFIELD, Ohio – The Otterbein University volleyball team dropped three outings over the weekend at the Wittenberg Fall Classic, moving to 7-5 on the season as a result.

The Cardinals looked as if they would grab an early lead on Friday against 12th-ranked Hope College, holding a 24-20 lead before the Flying Dutch fought off four-straight set points, and eventually escaping with a 27-25 victory.

Hope parlayed that momentum into the next two sets, holding off a scrappy Otterbein team to win 25-17 and 25-21. Morgan Lowenkamp led the Cardinals offensively with 13 kills while Marie Thornton had eight of her own. Libero Gracie Staten finished with 18 digs and setter Andrea Miller handed out 33 assists.

Hope, hitting .248 as a team throughout, received a match-best 17 kills from Sarah Feldpausch in improving to 6-2 on the season.

Otterbein opened Saturday's action with a five-set thriller against Trine University, dropping the first two sets before rallying to even the match at 2-2. The Thunder would ultimately hang on, emerging in an intense fifth set by a count of 18-16.

Lowenkamp paced the Cardinals again, this time with 15 kills on 37 total attempts. She also had three block assists. Four Otterbein players made it into double-digit digs, led by 23 from Staten and another 17 from Brenna McNally. The Cards hit .064 as a team compared to a .165 output for Trine.

The Cardinals finished the weekend with another five-set contest, this time letting a 2-1 slip away against DePauw University for a final line score of 28-30, 25-14, 26-24, 19-25, 10-15.

Lowenkamp and Sam Hurdzan each blasted 15 kills while Thornton chipped in a solid 10. Staten had 28 digs, a season-high, while Miller tallied a double-double with 15 digs and a season-best 45 assists.

Otterbein will regroup and begin Ohio Athletic Conference play this coming Wednesday, hosting Heidelberg University inside the Rike Center for a 7 p.m. start time.