ADA, Ohio – Taking on a pair of HCAC opponents, the No. 20 Otterbein University volleyball team swept Transylvania and Mount Saint Joseph on Friday night. The Cardinals handled the Pioneers in straight sets before taking a 3-1 decision over the Lions. 

In the second match, Chandler Crowell and Maddie Mergen were forces at the net. Crowell racked up a career-high 10 total blocks while Mergen added seven. The 10 total blocks in a match is good for the second-most in program history. The Cardinals now sit at 14-1 overall heading into conference play. 

GAME ONE: Otterbein 3 Transylvania 0

Off to a slow start, the Cardinals found themselves trailing 10-6 early in set one. A kill from Lexi Scott gave the ball back to Otterbein and Olivia Vitaz followed with an ace. Three more points went the way of the Cardinals, thanks to kills from Scott and Maddie Mergen to push Otterbein ahead 11-10. Holding a three point lead, Otterbein scored four of the last five points of the set to win 25-19. Brooke Barb ended the set with a kill, finishing the match with nine total. 

In the second set, the Cardinals once again found themselves trailing, this time an 18-15 deficit. Seniors Mergen and Grace Ganz lifted Otterbein back in front, as Mergen tallied a pair of kills and Ganz recorded back to back aces. Later in the set, Otterbein's 4-0 run gave them a 23-20 lead before eventually taking the set 25-21. Otterbein's final two points came off kills by Baum. 

Otterbein dominated the final set to win by a 25-15 margin. With Ashley Kefauver back to serve, the Cardinals rolled off six straight points – highlighted by three aces from the junior libero. 

Baum's 11 kills led the attack, as Mergen was incredibly efficient on the right side. The senior added 10 kills on a .571 attack percentage, committing just one error. A trio of Cardinals finished with a team-best nine digs (Ganz, Vitaz, Makenzie Schellenberger). Vitaz's 35 assists led the offense, as Chander Crowell's five total blocks paced the defense. 

GAME TWO: Otterbein 3 Mount Saint Joseph 1

Holding a big lead in the first set, the Cardinals saw the Lions slowly chip away and take a 22-21 advantage. Despite a back and forth battle down the stretch, MSJ came away with the set one victory, 28-26. 

In a back and forth battle of set two, Kefauver stepping back to serve late in the set swung the momentum in favor of the Cardinals. A Mergen kill knotted the set at 19 and Kefauver landed an ace right inside the end line. Another Cardinal point forced MSJ to call a timeout with Otterbein leading 21-19. Mount St. Joseph responded to tie the score at 21, but Barb smacked a kill and two straight Lion errors pushed Otterbein to set point. Barb evened the match at one set apiece, ending with a kill and a 25-21 Otterbein victory. 

Otterbein went on a run midway through the third set to create distance from the Lions. Plenty of Cardinals got involved with the rally, seeing Barb, Vitaz, Mergen and Scott slam kills – and Ganz adding an ace. The Cardinals handily won the third set by a 25-16 score. 

The Cardinals rolled out to an 8-2 lead in the fourth set and never looked back. Otterbein kept its foot on the gas for the remainder of the set to win 25-13. Barb's 12 kills led the Cardinals, as VItaz (22) and Elise Adelman (13) paced the squad in assists. Kefauver's 15 digs were a team-best, seeing Vitaz rack up a double-double, adding 13 digs. 

As a team, Otterbein finished with 14 service aces – led by four off the hand of Baum. 

Next Friday, the Cardinals commence OAC play with a road trip to Mount Union. Game time is slated for 7 p.m.