GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The Otterbein volleyball team stayed the course and snuck out with a winning trip Saturday afternoon, departing the Calvin College Labor Day Weekend Tournament with a 2-1 record.

Friday vs. Grove City College (Win 3-0):
The Cardinals began with a straight-set win, besting the Wolverines by final line scores of 25-19, 26-24, 25-21.

Otterbein opened the first set on a 16-7 run and cruised into an early lead. The second frame was a bit tighter until a quick Cardinal run pushed the lead to 17-11. Grove City struck their own rally with a 6-0 run down the stretch, forcing a 24-24 tie before a pair of miscues handed the set to Otterbein.

The third set remained within a few points entering crunch time but, alas, the Cardinals emerged once more. Three kills from Morgan Hartman, followed by a punctuating rip from Amber Greeley, cemented the win.

Hartman had 20 kills while setter Carlie Craycraft spread 37 assists around to her teammates. Senior Emma Linehan was part of five blocks in helping the defense limit Grove City to a .084 hitting mark.

Saturday vs. Calvin (Loss 3-0):
A challenging breakfast-ball showdown with the host, No. 3-ranked and national powerhouse Knights would end up being a tall order. Calvin prevailed by scores of 25-17, 25-16, 25-12.

Otterbein only trailed 18-16 in the first set before the Knights created some breathing room. A similar theme progressed in the second, where the Cards were down just 15-13 midway through but lost ground. The third frame got away quick, with Calvin ballooning a 19-7 lead and not looking back.

Libero Bridget Oder came up with 27 digs in the back row, but Calvin ultimately hit .278 compared to a .032 output for Otterbein.

Saturday vs. Augsburg (Win 3-2):
The finale would be a classic battle until the final point, where Otterbein overcame some adversity to somehow emerge 25-23, 25-19, 22-25, 22-25, 17-15.

The Cards snuck out a tightly-contested opener and used that vibe to win the ensuing set by a more comfortable margin. Augsburg settled in and put pressure back on Otterbein, breaking a 20-20 tie in the third to get on the scoreboard. The Eagles then moved ahead after an 18-18 deadlock in the fourth to draw even in the match.

With all of the momentum, Augsburg held a 13-9 lead in the decisive frame and appeared ready to secure the wild comeback. Admirably, the Cardinals regrouped to win four-straight points and set up a nail-biting finish.

Service errors allowed each side to hold on match point. After an attacking error by the opposition, freshman Kristen Scherger got creative with an unconventional push to the back corner/sideline on a broken sequence that let the Cards escape.

Morgan Hartman went absolutely nuts, finishing with a career-high 28 kills from the outside and hitting .339 for the duration. She was named to the All-Tournament Team as a result of her performances.

Greeley and Julia Vermilion combined for another 28 around the net. Craycraft had 60 assists while four players posted double-digit digs; Oder (20), Vermilion (20), Hartman (11) and freshman Amanda Troyer (11). Otterbein hit .223 collectively.

UP NEXT:
Otterbein comes back to Ohio for a matchup with nearby Denison, and then plays co-host in the Pam Briggs Classic next weekend.