ADA, Ohio – A surging Otterbein volleyball team delivered a statement win on the road Wednesday night, blanking host and No. 24-ranked Ohio Northern during a critical league match at the ONU Sports Center.

The Cardinals, now having won six in a row, made their presence known in a mighty way by final lines scores of 25-16, 25-20, 25-18. Otterbein moves itself to 13-7 on the year and a perfect 3-0 within Ohio Athletic Conference play.

ONU, hanging around the AVCA national poll as of late, falls to 11-5 this year and back to 1-1 within conference. The Cards also snap a four-match skid in the series.

THE SCRIPT:

SET 1: The Cardinals came out swinging, turning a slight 11-10 lead into a dominant first set by culminating the frame on a 14-6 outburst.

SET 2: An early tie (6-6) quickly became another lead for Otterbein, which maintained a few-point margin for most of the set before finishing strong. The Cards led just 20-18 before taking five of the last seven points in play.

SET 3: That momentum carried over into a clinching third set, although the Polar Bears didn't go down without a little scrap in taking a brief 12-11 lead and then drawing even at 14-14. However, Otterbein kicked into gear once more with a 5-0 run and never trailed again.

STAT CHECK:

• Otterbein hit .239 for the match while ONU mustered up just a .110 clip. Maddie Mergen had a clean 6-0-11 (.545) line for the Cards.
   
• Morgan Hartman, the reigning OAC Offensive Player of the Week, had a match-best 17 kills and hit .268 throughout. Kennedy Hoffman added 11 more smacks for a rather potent display.
   
• Olivia Vitaz dished out 29 assists while running the offense, with Amanda Troyer and Makenzie Schellenberger combining for 25 digs around the back.
   
• The Cards had nine service aces compared to just four on the home side.

 
UP NEXT:

The Cardinals will have a full seven days off to enjoy Fall Break over the weekend, getting back on the court next Wednesday (10/11) against Wilmington in the Rike Center.