GRANVILLE, Ohio – In one of the more entertaining, non-conference, Tuesday-night matchups that you'll see in early September, the Otterbein volleyball team completed a wild comeback to somehow escape host Denison with a 3-2 triumph.

The Cardinals, emerging in their second five-set thriller in as many outings, fell behind 2-0 and faced match-point in the third. Down but not out, the group rallied to win that frame and keep momentum the remainder of the night.

THE SCRIPT:

• We won't talk much about the initial two sets. Let's just say that Denison ended the opener on a 6-1 run, and then admirably won five-straight points to come from behind and snatch the second.
   
• The third set appeared to be playing out in a similar theme, as the Big Red rallied once again to encounter match point at 24-22. Now, here's where the fun begins…
   
• Otterbein won four-straight points, culminating with a block from Amber Greeley and Madison McCoy followed by a kill from Greeley, to flip the script and keep the match alive.
   
• That momentum was parlayed into a fourth-set victory for the Cardinals, using a 5-0 run midway through to even the contest.
   
• The fifth (and decisive) set was a fitting culmination, as Denison held leads of 10-5, 12-7 and 13-9. Otterbein caught fire one last time, getting three kills via freshman Kennedy Hoffman and another two from Greeley to steal the show!

CHECKING OUT THE STATS:

• Otterbein hit .235 for the match compared to just .159 for Denison.
   
• Senior Julia Vermilion led the way with an impressive double-double of 24 digs and 19 kills around the rotation.
   
• Greeley ripped off 19 kills and hit .429, her second match over a .390 percentage on the young season. She was also part of nine block assists.
   
• Hoffman (15 kills) found a groove as the night progressed while Madison McCoy added nine smacks of her own up the middle.
   
• Setter Carlie Craycraft, top-five nationally in assists each of her two college seasons, had another 57 directing traffic.
   
• Bridget Oder and Amanda Troyer combined for 28 digs in the back.
   
• Otterbein, always aggressive in the serve game, had 14 errors while Denison had 14 aces. Daria Rodriguez posted 16 kills to lead the home side.

 
HOME SWEET HOME:

Otterbein will get back into the Rike Center and play co-host in the Pam Briggs Fall Classic this weekend, hosting matches across Friday and Saturday. More details on the schedule page!