Despite a stretch of 662 days since the team last played an intercollegiate match, the Case Western Reserve University volleyball team did not miss a beat in its return to action on Wednesday, opening its 2021 campaign with a 3-1 win (25-13, 25-15, 15-25, 25-8) over Oberlin College at Horsburgh Gymnasium.

Making her collegiate debut on Wednesday, first-year Rea Marfatia led the squad with 13 kills and hit .250 for the match. Also playing in her first collegiate match, sophomore Jennifer Ngo totaled seven blocks (including five solo) and added eight kills. Junior Sara Rogers tallied 33 assists, and first-year Maria Tuepker registered a team-leading 18 digs.

Trailing 4-5 entering the first set, a kill by Ngo triggered a six-point run for the Spartans, who took a 10-6 lead and never trailed again in the frame. A block by Ngo (one of four total blocks for her in the first set) and Rogers allowed the Spartans to close out the opening frame, 25-13. As a team, the Spartans registered a .385 attack percentage during the first set.

The Spartans never trailed in the second set and led by as many as 10 during the frame, en route to a 25-15 victory. Junior Gianna Lambert registered a team-high four kills during the second set, and the Spartans scored the final three points in the frame to take a 2-0 lead in the match.

Oberlin battled back to a 25-15 win in the third set to stay alive in the match. However, CWRU would score the first four points of the fourth set, and go on an eight point run to take a 14-3 lead, and go on to win the set 25-8 and clinch the match victory.

The Spartans will now turn their attention towards this weekend's CWRU Tournament on Friday and Saturday at the Veale Center. CWRU will open play at the tournament against Albion College on Friday at 7:30 p.m. For more information on the CWRU Tournament, please visit the official tournament page at https://athletics.case.edu/sports/wvball/2021-22/2021CWRUTournament.