ST. LOUIS, Mo. – It was a difficult stretch of opponents at the season-opening Bear Invite for Otterbein, as the Cardinals traveled south to Washington-St. Louis for a rugged two-day slate.

The Cardinals battled admirably across four matches, including a pair of Top-15 opponents in Hope (6) and Wash U (14). Unfortunately, the first official win of the season is still yet to come despite some impressive moments.
---
ST. OLAF RECAP:

Both sides traded their moments in four competitive sets, with the Oles eventually resting on top by counts of 25-20, 25-23, 25-27, 25-20. St. Olaf led 14-4 in the opening frame but had to work much harder in the second set, featuring a 23-23 tie before the Otterbein dropped the next two points.

Otterbein used a 5-0 run to break open a 15-15 deadlock in the third, but the Oles roared back with a 7-0 stretch themselves to gain a 22-20 margin. The Cards fought off match point at 24-23 and rallied to stay alive behind a final service ace from newbie Makenzie Schellenberger.

The fourth set encountered ties at 14, 15 and 16 before St. Olaf pulled away, grabbing a 20-17 cushion and holding on down the backstretch.

Kennedy Hoffman set a new career-high with 20 kills, coming on a healthy 56 attempts, while Morgan Hartman added a 13-4-28 line to hit .321 in her senior debut. Sophomore setter Olivia Vitaz, taking over the reins of the offense, had 36 helpers. Amanda Troyer and transfer Kira Appeman combined for 29 digs around the court defensively.

WASH U RECAP:
---
The host Bears finished with a victory in straight sets, but it was anything but easy in coming by tight scores of 25-23, 25-21, 25-23. Wash U did hit an efficient .306 offensively as a group.

Otterbein held leads of 18-15, 20-18 and 22-20 in the first set… but couldn't quite hang on as the Bears closed 5-1 to steal the opener. The middle frame saw deadlocks at 12, 13 and 17 before a narrow 19-18 lead for Wash U, which then held on thanks to a pair of attack errors by Otterbein.

The Cardinals didn't go quietly in the third, but they did ultimately go despite nearly erasing a 23-17 hole. Multiple kills by Hoffman and Maddie Mergen admirably kept the team close, until Wash U enjoyed the final rope to end the night.

Mergen hit 11-2-17 (.529) for perhaps the best performance of her young career, while Hoffman and Hartman reached double figures again. Jasmine Sells led all players with 17 kills on the Wash U side.
---
HOPE RECAP:

The Cardinals and Flying Dutch, an NCAA quarterfinalist last year before falling to national champ Juniata, traded blows in a five-set battle. Hope would eventually stand on top 25-16, 23-25, 25-16, 22-25, 15-11.

Otterbein shrugged off the first-set loss to even the match, as a 23-23 tie was broken thanks to a pair of Hope miscues. Back in another hole, the Cards forced a decisive frame after lading wire-to-wire in the fourth. They opened a 6-0 lead and held off a pesky Flying Dutch group near the end on a kill from Appeman.

The winner-take-all race to 15 saw Hope jump to a 10-4 lead and hang on, despite the Cards fighting off three match points in a row.

Hope hit .319 for the match compared to Otterbein's .225 clip. Olivia Vitaz tallied a double-double behind a career-best 49 assists and 10 digs while three others – Troyer (23), Grace Ganz (13) and Schellenberger (12) were right there defensively.

Addison VanderWeide, a D1 transfer from Iowa, led Hope with a 24-3-51 (.412) hitting line to accompany 14 digs.
---
NORTH CENTRAL RECAP:

A quick turnaround after that morning slugfest was not the best recipe for Otterbein in the finale, dropping straight sets in the battle of Cardinals by counts of 25-14, 25-22, 25-14.

Otterbein threw its best effort in the middle set, forcing ties at 14 and 15 before trailing just 21-19. However, NCC tallied three-straight points and used that momentum into the third.

Kennedy Hoffman had nine kills and hit .346 for the last contest of the weekend.

MOVING FORWARD:

• The Cards will have six days off to regroup before Hanover College ventures into the Rike Center for the home opener, set for Friday at 6 p.m. It will help start the annual Pam Briggs Fall Classic, jointly hosted with Capital.