Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 WESTERVILLE — The Otterbein volleyball team earned 3-0 victories over Bethany (W.Va.) and Westminster (Mo.) in a home tri-match on Friday on the opening day of the Pam Briggs Classic. The Cardinals defeated Bethany 25-15, 25-17, 25-19 and won 25-19, 25-18, 25-16 over Westminster.

The Basics

• Records: Otterbein (5-0 overall), Bethany (3-3 overall), Westminster (1-6 overall)
• Venue: Rike Center - Westerville, Ohio
• Otterbein and Capital are serving as co-hosts of the two-day Pam Briggs Classic. The Cardinals will close out their event schedule with matches against Hanover (Ind.) and Franklin (Ind.) at Capital on Saturday. Click here for the full event site.

Otterbein Stat Leaders vs. Bethany

• Junior Kayla Lechnir led the Cardinals with 12 kills to go with five each from junior Brooke Barb and sophomore Lexi Scott.
• Senior Amanda Troyer had a team-high 11 digs.
• Junior Olivia Vitaz and freshman Kaitlyn Schram tallied double-digit assists with 19 and 15, respectively.
• Sophomore Emma Steiger recorded a team-best three service aces.

Match Highlights vs. Bethany

• The Cardinals jumped out to a 21-11 lead in the opening set before three straight points from Bethany made it 21-14. Otterbein closed out the set by scoring four of the next five points for the 25-15 win. That closing stretch included two kills from freshman Emerson Baum, one from Lechnir and an ace from Schram.
• The second set played out similarly, as Otterbein built a 20-12 edge en route to the 25-17 victory.
• The Bison took an early 4-2 lead in the third set, but the Cardinals responded with a 6-0 run for an 8-4 edge. That spurt included a pair of aces from junior Annie Casper and two kills from Barb. The Cardinals extended their lead to 18-10, but a 9-2 Bethany run brought the visitors within one, 20-19. Unfazed, Otterbein scored the next five points to seal the win in a stretch highlighted by a pair of kills from freshman Georgia Stenger and one each from Barb and freshman Lauren Neisel.
• Otterbein finished with 48 kills while hitting .337, while Bethany tallied 22 kills while hitting .130.

Otterbein Stat Leaders vs. Westminster

• Kennedy Hoffman led Otterbein with 14 kills to go with 11 from junior Maddie Mergen and seven from senior Kristen Scherger.
• Schram recorded an impressive seven service aces to go with a team-best 19 assists. Vitaz added 18 assists.
• Troyer posted a team-high 16 digs.

Match Highlights vs. Westminster

• Leading 13-10 in the first set, Otterbein scored five straight points highlighted by two kills each from Hoffman and Baum for an 18-10 edge. The Blue Jays got within four, 23-19, but the Cardinals scored the next two points to close out the set.
• Westminster led 16-11 midway through the second set before a 4-0 brought Otterbein within one, 16-15. The Blue Jays extended their lead back out to 18-15, but the Cardinals closed the set on a 10-0 run that included four aces from Schram for the 25-18 victory.
• A 7-0 run early in the third set put Otterbein up 12-6 en route to taking a 20-14 lead. An ensuing 4-0 run highlighted by two kills from Scherger and a pair of aces from Schram put the Cardinals one point away from clinching the match. After two points from Westminster, the Cardinals closed out the sweep on a kill from Scherger.
• Otterbein finished with 49 kills while hitting .302, while Westminster tallied 25 kills while hitting .121.

Notables

• Otterbein received 134 points and sits just outside the top 25 at No. 26 in this week's AVCA/TARAFLEX NCAA Division III Poll.
• Head coach Monica Wright is in her 18th year at Otterbein and boasts an all-time record of 359-177 at the helm of the Cardinals.
• Troyer ranks sixth all-time at Otterbein in career service aces (123) and 10th all-time in career digs (1,242).
• Vitaz has 1,085 career assists.
• Hoffman has 762 career kills.