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WESTERVILLE, Ohio – An eight-match winning streak will carry the Otterbein volleyball squad into a primetime showdown that launches Homecoming weekend, as the Cardinals worked past visiting Kenyon in straight sets Wednesday evening.

The Cardinals, winning by scores of 25-14, 25-14, 25-23, bump their season record to 13-1 overall and will now await No. 19-ranked Wittenberg Friday night at 7 p.m. Otterbein was the fifth team listed as "receiving votes" in the latest AVCA national poll.

Otterbein, playing just its second home match of the season, wasted no time grabbing momentum over Kenyon (2-7) with a 10-3 run midway through the first set.

The Cards forced a timeout by the Ladies at 7-1 to begin the second set, but the visitors hung around and kept the deficit at just 16-12. Otterbein kicked into gear from that point, getting back-to-back kills from junior Tate Eppard and ultimately finishing the frame on a 9-2 run.

Otterbein fell behind early in the third frame, but a 12-3 spurt put the hosts back on top at 13-8 and seemingly in control again. Kenyon didn't go quietly, responding to eventually force ties at 19-19 and 20-20 to make things interesting.

The Cardinals would emerge nonetheless behind two kills from Eppard, another two from junior Dasha Bruyako and a culminating blast from classmate Emily Shuk on match point. Otterbein hit .202 as a team compared to a .053 output from Kenyon.

Eppard, who currently sits atop the Ohio Athletic Conference in both kills per set and hitting percentage, led the way with 14 while Bruyako had a line of 11-3-21. Shuk blasted eight herself while freshmen Anna Donner and Amber Greeley, both earning starting nods, contributed five each.

Freshman setter Carlie Craycraft continued running the show with 36 assists, gathering the offense down the stretch by finding her trio of junior hitters to stymie Kenyon's momentum. She currently leads the OAC at 10.5 assists per set.

Libero Ashlyn Leon dug up 22 balls in the back and freshman Bridget Oder just missed double figures with nine. She did, however, rip off a match-high three service aces.