DELAWARE — The Otterbein volleyball team came back from dropping the opening set for a 3-1 victory at Ohio Wesleyan on Wednesday night. The Cardinals won 16-25, 25-18, 25-18, 25-21.

The Basics

• Records: Otterbein (7-4 overall), Ohio Wesleyan (6-6 overall)
• Venue: Branch Rickey Arena - Delaware, Ohio

Otterbein Stat Leaders

• Senior Kristen Scherger led the way with nine kills to go with seven each from senior Kennedy Hoffman, junior Olivia Vitaz and freshman Chandler Crowell.
• Three Cardinals posted double-digit dig totals. Senior Amanda Troyer led the way with 15 to go with 14 each from Vitaz and sophomore Mackenzie Schellenberger.
• Vitaz and freshman Kaitlyn Schram tallied double-digit assists with 16 and 13, respectively.
• Freshman Emerson Baum finished with a team-high five blocks.

Match Highlights

• A back-and-forth early part of the first set featured nine tie scores, the last of which came at 12-12 before a 6-0 OWU run gave the home team some cushion en route to the 25-16 win.
• The Cardinals responded to take a closely contested second set. With the Bishops leading 14-11, Otterbein worked to tie the score at 14-all with three straight points capped by an ace from Schellenberger. The Cardinals later took an 18-16 edge on back-to-back kills from Crowell and Scherger and never gave up the lead for the remainder of the set. Up 20-18, Otterbein scored three straight points on a kill from Hoffman, an OWU attack error and ace from Troyer, leading the Bishops to take a timeout.  The Cardinals closed out the 25-18 win courtesy of two straight OWU attack errors.
• Otterbein carried that positive momentum into the third set, building an early 8-1 lead. That stretch was highlighted by two kills from Crowell and one from Scherger to go with a kill and an ace from Vitaz. A kill from Hoffman and OWU attack error later put Otterbein up 14-5, forcing a Bishop timeout. The Cardinals remained in command, though, stretching the lead to 18-7 on a kill from Scherger and ace by Baum prior to yet another OWU timeout. A 5-0 run got the Bishops within six, 19-13, and they got within five on a pair of occasions before Otterbein closed out the 25-18 victory courtesy of a kill from Baum.
• The teams battled to a 17-all tie in the fourth set before a 4-0 Otterbein run, highlighted by two kills from Hoffman and one from Scherger, gave the visitors some separation. The Bishops fought back to tie the score at 21-all, but a Hoffman kill and OWU attack error put Otterbein two points away from victory. Following an OWU timeout, a kill from Hoffman and ace from Troyer sealed the match for the Cardinals.
• Otterbein finished with 39 kills while hitting .055, and Ohio Wesleyan finished with 32 kills while hitting -.032.

Notables

• Otterbein received 22 points in this week's AVCA/TARAFLEX NCAA Division III Poll after totaling 55 points and facing three top-six teams last week.
• Head coach Monica Wright is in her 18th year at Otterbein and boasts an all-time record of 361-181 at the helm of the Cardinals.
• Troyer ranks sixth all-time at Otterbein in career service aces (134) and eighth all-time in career digs (1,341).
• Vitaz has 1,166 career assists.
• Hoffman has 811 career kills.