UNIVERSTY HEIGHTS, Ohio – A rematch of last year's OAC Tournament Championship contest proved to feature more action-packed volleyball Wednesday night inside the Tony DeCarlo Varsity Center, as John Carroll played host this time to league-leading (and defending champ) Otterbein.

The Cardinals were forced to overcome some adversity in the middle frames, but they did just that to prevail in four sets and remain unbeaten atop the Ohio Athletic Conference standings. Otterbein emerged 25-17, 29-31, 27-25, 25-19 to bump its winning streak to 10 matches.

John Carroll, having rotated wins/losses against the OAC this fall, entered fresh off a big win over Ohio Northern but now falls back to 3-3 within the league.

SET 1: Otterbein opened the night with a 14-9 edge before JCU countered back to vault ahead 16-15. The Cards regrouped mightily from there with a dominating 9-0 run to easily take the opener.

SET 2: The second frame was wild, and then some. Otterbein led 20-17 before the Streaks blew past to lead 24-22. The Cards then leapfrogged to a 25-24 set point before deadlocks at 26, 27, 28 and 29. John Carroll used more potent blocking to tie the match, taking advantage of a service error by the Cards and then a double stuff near the pin.

SET 3: This game also needed extra time after Otterbein erased a 21-17 deficit late. The Cards fought off set point (at 24-23) and then broke a 25-25 tie with punctuating kills from Kennedy Hoffman and Madison McCoy.

SET 4: Otterbein carried that momentum into finishing the job here by leading the entire way. It wasn't easy as the group clung to an 18-16 lead, but then won three points in a row to create enough separation down the stretch.
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BOX SCORE LOOK:

• Morgan Hartman led the way with a double-double of 16 kills and 16 digs, while McCoy (14-3-30) hit a very efficient .367 from the middle.
   
• Kennedy Hoffmann added 12 important kills of her own and Kristen Scherger followed up with another nine.
   
• Amanda Troyer came up with 25 digs and is flirting with six per set this season, as her efforts helped limit JCU to a .133 percentage.
   
• Otterbein had 14 service aces from the back line, led by four off the arms of both McCoy and Kailey Mishler.
   
• Jennifer Follmer had 13 kills on the home side.

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BACK TO CLEVELAND:

The Cards will head right back up 71 North this coming weekend, traveling to play Baldwin Wallace come Saturday afternoon at 1 p.m.