The Case Western Reserve University volleyball team began the 2022 season on Friday by winning two matches at the Great Lakes Cross Over, held at the Cedar Point Sports Center in Sandusky, Ohio. In the early match, the Spartans defeated Grove City College 3-0, and in the later match, they bested Hanover College 3-1.
CWRU begins the season with a record of 2-0, while the Wolverines fall to 0-2, and the Panthers drop to 1-1.
CWRU 3, Grove City 0 (25-12, 25-15, 25-18)
Case Western Reserve started the season with a sweep over Grove City in the first contest of the day. Senior setter Sara Rogers and sophomore setter Ansley Yamaato split setting duties in the match, with Rogers tallying 13 assists and Yamaato adding 11. Both setters recorded seven digs.
Junior libero Alyssa Blessinger led the squad defensively, registering a team-high 16 digs. At the service line, junior middle blocker Jennifer Ngo served a career-high five aces. She also added a team-leading eight kills on a .467 kill percentage and three blocks. Sophomore outside hitter Rea Marfatia was second on the team with 10 digs, second on the team with five kills, and second on the team with two blocks.
CWRU 3, Hanover 1 (22-25, 25-19, 25-14, 25-22)
Yamaato set a new career high with 29 assists and tied a career high with 19 digs in the second contest, a four-set CWRU victory. Rogers added 17 assists and 10 digs from the setter position. Blessinger paced the squad again with 27 digs, while also contributing six assists.
Offensively, first-year middle blocker/right side hitter Amanda Ngo led the team with 13 kills. Both Amanda Ngo and first year outside hitter Kalli Wall (10 kills) reached double-digit kills in their second collegiate matches. Marfatia added 10 kills to go along with 13 digs.
The Spartans combined for nine service aces against the Panthers, including four from Jennifer Ngo and two each from Blessinger and Yamaato.
Case Western Reserve wraps up play in Sandusky with two matches on Saturday, September 3. First, CWRU faces Western Connecticut State at 8 a.m. Then, the squad ends the weekend with a match against Smith at 12 p.m.
