GRAND RAPIDS, Mich.– The (RV) Otterbein volleyball team started off strong on Friday up north, taking on No. 16 UW-Whitewater and Colorado College. The Cardinals swiftly took down the Warhawks in straight sets (29-27, 25-22, and 25-20) before dropping their second match to the Colorado College Tigers, 3-1.
GAME ONE: Otterbein 3 UW-Whitewater 0
The Cardinals started their day securing a statement victory over No. 16 UW-Whitewater, getting the win over the Warhawks 3-0. In set one, Otterbein was trailing for the majority of the set, and by as many as 11-3, before rallying to take a 15-14 lead, thanks to kills from
Emerson Baum and
Lexi Scott. The teams were neck and neck for the remainder of the set, allowing the Warhawks to get to set point, until a kill from sophomore
Addison Matovich put the Cardinals back in the race at 25-25. After an error from UW-Whitewater and a kill from junior
Chandler Crowell, Otterbein took set one in a gritty fashion, 29-27.
In the second set, the Cardinals found themselves playing from behind, but back-to-back kills from Makenzie Schellenberger and
Claire Baker sparked an Otterbein rally and evened the score at 16-16. From there, the Cardinals gained control, closing out the set with a block from Baker and Crowell to secure the 25-22 victory.
During the third and final set, the Cardinals started off strong, gaining control of the set from the beginning, and never losing their lead. A kill from Baum assisted by senior
Elise Adelman granted Otterbein their eighth straight win. The Cardinals took set three, 25-20.
On the offensive side, Scott led the pack with 12 kills and an incredible .370 hitting percentage. Just behind her sat Baum at 11 kills and Crowell at six, both vital in the Otterbein sweep. Otterbein hit at a .248 clip as a team, outshining the Warhawks by a significant margin, with Adelman registering 37 assists for the Otterbein crew. Senior
Ashley Kefauver paced the Otterbein defense, recording 19 digs and two aces. Schellenberger also added 14 digs and an ace to the Cardinal win. Otterbein has now beaten the Warhawks in four straight meetings, winning during the NCAA First Round in 2019, as well as the NCAA Second Round in 2021.
GAME 2: Colorado College 3 Otterbein 1
Otterbein started off their second match against Colorado College dropping the first set, 25-23, before battling back against the Tigers to take set two, 26-24. The Cardinals could not keep momentum and ultimately dropped the last two sets to Colorado College (26-24 and 25-20).
The Tigers led steadily in all categories throughout the match, hitting at a .230 clip as a team. Despite tying the Tigers at one set apiece, the Cardinals could not keep pace with the CC offense, dropping the final two sets.
Baum led Otterbein in kills, slamming 17 at an astounding .378 percentage. Scott added 14 kills, while Kefauver and Adelman both posted 15 digs. Schellenberger was not far behind, recording 14 digs and an ace for the Cardinals. Adelman contributed 37 assists for Otterbein.
The Cardinals return tomorrow as part of their challenging weekend to take on Cortland at 10 a.m. and No. 15 Calvin at 2 p.m.
