PHOTO GALLERY (coming soon)

WESTERVILLE, Ohio – It took some challenging points early in the night and random adversity along the way, but top seed Otterbein did what its done all season in staying the course for a 3-0 sweep against a game Ohio Northern team.

The Cardinals, winning by scores of 27-25, 25-22, 25-19, advance to host the Ohio Athletic Conference Tournament Championship match for the second year in a row come Saturday afternoon. Otterbein will be looking to defend its crown against third seed Mount Union, which stormed back from a 2-0 deficit to win a five-set thriller at Marietta.

ONU, seeded fourth, ends its season at 17-10 overall. The Polar Bears emerged from an OAC quarterfinal earlier in the week before succumbing to the Cards for a second time this year.

SET 1:
A very tight opener featured multiple lead changes and, despite ONU inadvertently receiving an extra point midway through, Otterbein found a way to weather the misfortune via extra point. The Polar Bears held leads of 20-17 and 22-19 before the Cardinals came charging back in crunch time… Otterbein jumped in front (23-22) with a 4-0 run before ensuing deadlocks at 24 and 25. In the end, an ONU attack error and kill from Morgan Hartman allowed the home side to escape.

SET 2:
The middle frame encountered a 15-15 tie and saw Otterbein clinging to a 19-18 lead shortly thereafter. Three-straight points, including a pair of kills from Kennedy Hoffman, helped create a bit of separation and just enough down to the finish.

SET 3:
ONU came out firing to snag an 8-4 lead. However, the Cardinals kept swinging and ripped off a massive 12-2 run that proved to be a difference maker. The Polar Bears never got closed than four the remainder of the way.

BOX SCORE LOOK:

• Otterbein hit .220 for the night while holding the visitors to just a .102 output. That defensive effort was in large part to recently named OAC Libero of the Year Amanda Troyer, who tallied 21 digs from start to finish.
   
• Hoffman hit 14-2-31 (.387) to lead all players in kills while Hartman, the newest OAC Player of the Year, added a double-double charge with 13 kills and 10 digs.
   
• Olivia Vitaz handed out 28 assists from her setter position while Madison McCoy played yet another huge role in the blocking game, getting involved in five.
   
• Erin Wagner, a first team All-OAC pick, paced the ONU offense with nine kills.

CHAMPIONSHIP SATURDAY:

• Otterbein and Mount Union will now play a rematch from the regular-season finale, with the league's automatic bid to the upcoming NCAA Championships on the line. First serve will be at 1 p.m.