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Otterbein University Athletics

Otterbein Cardinals

OAC Tournament
3
Winner Otterbein OTT 24-5,7-1 OAC
1
Marietta MAR 17-8,7-1 OAC
Winner
Otterbein OTT
24-5,7-1 OAC
3
Final
1
Marietta MAR
17-8,7-1 OAC
Set Scores
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Otterbein OTT 25 25 19 25 (3)
Marietta MAR 14 23 25 18 (1)

Game Recap: Women's Volleyball |

Four-peat! Volleyball wins fourth straight OAC Tournament title

MARIETTA, Ohio – For the fourth consecutive season and the seventh time in program history, the Otterbein University volleyball team is the Ohio Athletic Conference Tournament Champion. The Cardinals avenged a regular season loss to Marietta College, knocking off the Pioneers 3-1.

Outsides Brooke Barb and Lexi Scott were masterful in the win. Barb's 14 kills – the second-highest mark for her career – led the Cardinals at a .351 attack percentage, as Scott added 12. 

In the opening set, Otterbein was firing on all cylinders, hitting at a .378 clip and winning 25-14. From the jump, Otterbein rolled to an early 13-3 advantage. Aces from Grace Ganz and Emma Steiger electrified the run, as Barb, Emerson Baum and Chandler Crowell each contributed two kills in that stretch. A 7-1 run from the Pioneers would be answered by a dominant performance late in the set. Two more Barb kills ended the set, helping Otterbein lead 1-0. 

Otterbein utilized a massive comeback in the second set to create a large advantage. Marietta led 23-20 before the Cardinals went on a 5-0 run to close out the set 25-23. Steiger served up two aces in the run – one to tie the set at 23 and the other to deliver the win to the Cardinals. 

Marietta extended the match by winning the third set, 25-19. As the two teams battled throughout the third set, Olivia Jurcevic stepped back to serve and created a 6-0 Otterbein run, inflating the lead to 20-13. The Pioneers worked to cut the deficit to 22-18, but Scott slammed a kill to send the ball back to the Cardinals and put them two points away from a title. 

A block from Crowell and Olivia Vitaz vaulted Otterbein to set point, as Scott's 12th kill of the night punched Otterbein's ticket to the NCAA Division III Tournament next week.

Junior Ashley Kefauver was rock solid all day, finishing with a game-high 23 digs. Vitaz contributed another double-double, with 37 assists and 13 digs. Barb and Steiger also added 10 digs apiece. 




This is the first four-peat for the OAC Tournament title since 2006-09 (Ohio Northern). 

Otterbein will see where they will play their NCAA Regional game during Monday's NCAA selection show, aired at 1 p.m. on ncaa.com.
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