ADA, Ohio – The No. 18 Otterbein volleyball team opened OAC play on Wednesday, traveling to Ada, Ohio, to face Ohio Northern University. Backed by a dominant performance by
Emerson Baum, the Cardinals came away with a 3-1 victory over ONU.
Baum led all players with 23 kills, hitting at a .413 clip. The junior totaled nine blocks in the win -- a new career-best -- as Lexi Scott contributed a season-high 18 kills.
Otterbein grinded out a 25-23 victory in the first set, holding off a ferocious Polar Bear run. With the score tied at 23, Chandler Crowell and Makenzie Schellenberger rattled off back-to-back kills to give the Cardinals the edge.
In the second, the teams traded points in a gritty 29-27 set that went the way of the hosts. With the teams tied at one set apiece, Otterbein used a late run to win the third set by a 25-20 margin. The Cardinals scored five of the set's final seven points, capped by a service error by ONU.
Ohio Northern worked to chip away at a large Cardinal lead in the fourth, eventually knotting the set at 22-22. The Cardinals fired off three consecutive points, with a double block by Baum and Elise Adelman and a Baum kill to highlight the run. An attacking error by the Polar Bears secured the 25-22 win for Otterbein, improving to 12-2 overall and 1-0 in the OAC.
Crowell added 10 kills, five total blocks and 14 assists for the Cardinals. Ashley Kefauver led the squad, tying a career-high with 24 digs, while Elise Adelman dished out 52 assists and added 11 digs. As a team, Otterbein hit at a .261 mark for the night compared to .133 by the Polar Bears.
On Friday, the Cardinals will host Mount Union for its first home conference game. Game time against the Purple Raiders is scheduled for 7 p.m.
