GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – It wasn't quite the ending they were hoping for Saturday night in the NCAA Sweet 16, but an admirable run for the Otterbein Volleyball program kept everyone on their toes from start to finish once again inside a lively Van Noord Arena.

The No. 24-ranked Cardinals went toe-to-toe with host and No. 5-ranked powerhouse Calvin in a very competitive Regional Final, capping a memorable three-day stretch for a program that continues making history…

Despite taking early momentum, Otterbein couldn't quite sustain the match lead as Calvin worked back to prevail in four sets by final counts of 21-25, 25-20, 25-21, 25-23. The Cardinals end their season with a 25-6 overall record, advancing further in the Big Dance than any team had before them.

Otterbein came out determined to silence a rowdy home crowd and student section, leading for almost the entire first set and not wavering. The Cards turned a 13-13 tie into a 19-14 lead. After Calvin fought back to within 21-19, kills from Julia Vermilion, Anna Cecil and Madison McCoy helped seal the deal.

Otterbein then led 11-9 in the second before Calvin strung together a 13-3 run and knotted the contest. The Cards then found themselves trailing 11-7 in the third set but weathered the storm, getting back to within 19-18 after a service ace from Vermilion. Unfortunately, the Knights captured five of the next six points to jump ahead in the match.

The fourth set was yet another classic tango. Calvin seemed in control at 21-16 before the scrappy Otterbein bunch rallied, manufacturing points however possible to force deadlocks at 22 and 23. The hosts wouldn't allow the showdown to enter a winner-take-all frame, however, earning the victory with consecutive kills in the moments after.

The Cards implemented a 6-2 rotation once again, watching setters Carlie Craycraft and Kailey Misher distribute 44 assists together. Amber Greeley hit 14-3-32 (.344) on the right side to lead Otterbein in kills for the third-straight outing. Morgan Hartman added 12 herself while senior Emma Linehan was 8-1-21 up the gut.

Otterbein tallied 11 service aces as a group, tying its third-best output of the season, led by four each from Craycraft and Hartman. Libero Bridget Oder had another 22 digs in the shirt, giving her 91 across the entire three-day regional.

Craycraft and Linehan were voted to the All-Tournament Team. Otterbein was making its seventh NCAA appearance in program history and now sports a 120-29 record overall the past five seasons.

Calvin (30-3) advances to the NCAA Finals in St. Louis next week. The Knights are one of eight teams left standing and will be vying for the program's fourth national title since 2010.