BEREA, Ohio – Make it seven wins in a row to further conference play for the Otterbein volleyball squad, as the Cardinals flew out of Ursprung Gymnasium with a sweep (25-20, 25-19, 25-20) of the host Yellow Jackets on Saturday afternoon.
Otterbein, running its winning streak to 11 matches overall, will enter the final week of the regular season at 18-7 overall and a clean 7-0 in the Ohio Athletic Conference. The Cards will have a chance to clinch another regular-season crown outright this coming Wednesday when they host Marietta.
------
The opening set featured multiple ties until BW led 19-18 down the stretch. Otterbein regrouped to punctuate the frame on a 6-1 run that flipped the script entirely.
A gritty Baldwin Wallace team delivered more of the same in the middle set, leading 18-17 this time until the Cards woke up once again. Consecutive kills from
Kennedy Hoffman, followed by a few BW miscues, allowed Otterbein to open a 2-0 match lead.
The Yellow Jackets led 16-15 midway through the third set before yet another familiar script ensued. Otterbein hit the gas pedal with an 8-2 burst to leap ahead for good and secure what was a very competitive sweep.
-------
Hoffman and
Morgan Hartman combined for 27 kills as the offense hit .205 as a group, scattered around the 24 dimes of setter
Olivia Vitaz.
Hartman (13) and libero
Amanda Troyer (18) led a defensive charge that kept BW to just a .050 hitting mark throughout. Vitaz and
Madison McCoy also had three blocks each.
-------
Otterbein now turns its full attention to second-place Marietta in what will help decide the OAC regular-season crown, with first serve locked in for 7 p.m. The two sides met twice last year, with the Cards winning in four sets each time.
