HANOVER PHOTOS
GENEVA PHOTOS

WESTERVILLE, Ohio – The Otterbein volleyball team delivered a clean sweep in its Rike Center debut this fall, blanking Hanover and Geneva by 3-0 counts to begin the Pam Briggs Fall Classic.

The Cardinals, now 5-2 on the season, have won four in a row and will return to action in the morning. Otterbein plays Case Western Reserve to finish the varsity action before an exhibition with Heidleberg around lunch time.

MATCH vs. HANOVER (W 25-20, 25-22, 25-6)
The Panthers held leads of 5-0 and 11-5 in the early going, but Otterbein eventually kicked into gear with an 11-2 run midway through the frame.

Hanover then held a 17-13 advantage entering crunch time of the second frame but, providing a similar script, the Cardinals flew back with a 7-2 spurt. Otterbein then broke a tie at 22-22 with three-straight points.

The third set would be lopsided, as Otterbein caught fire behind the serve of Carlie Craycraft. The team held cushions of 13-3 and 20-5 during the blitz.

Morgan Hartman hit 13-2-31 (.355) offensively while Emma Linehan and Julia Vermilion both added seven kills. Craycraft had 29 helpers while Bridget Oder had 16 digs, four assists and a few service aces.

MATCH vs. GENEVA (W 25-15, 25-23, 25-17)
Otterbein captured the early momentum with a dominant 17-5 run to open, settling into an early advantage.

The Cardinals then held a 20-10 lead in the second set and appeared firmly in control, but Geneva stayed the course and kept chipping away as the home side tinkered with its lineup. Before you knew it, the Golden Tornadoes trailed just 20-18.

Things were even more interesting as the became knotted at 23-23 but, alas, consecutive points from Otterbein helped avoid disaster.

Both sides traded points throughout a competitive third frame, which saw a 15-15 deadlock before Otterbein pulled away. The Cards finished the night on a 10-2 run.

Vermilion carried the team in stretches, ultimately going 14-1-32 (.406) and just missing a double-double with nine digs. Craycraft and Kailey Mishley combined for 41 assists.

Oder and freshman Kennedy Hoffman came up with 28 digs collectively around the rotation, as the Golden Tornadoes hit just .057 for the match.