The Case Western Reserve University volleyball team won both of its matches on Saturday at the Livingston Gymnasium in Granville, Ohio, defeating Kenyon College 3-0 (25-23, 25-14, 25-20) and host Denison University 3-2 (25-16, 25-18, 15-25, 21-25, 15-13).

The Spartans improved to 11-3 with the two wins, while the Owls dropped to 1-11 at the end of the day and the Big Red fell to 5-9.

CWRU 3, Kenyon 0 (25-23, 25-14, 25-20)

The Owls led early in the first set, holding a four-point advantage at 11-7. CWRU won the next three points to cut the deficit to one. After the team's traded the next four points, Kenyon used a 4-0 run to hold its largest lead of the match at 17-12. The Spartans responded with a 5-1 run to cut the deficit to one. First-year middle blocker Kiya Levy, sophomore right side hitter Carly Scott, first-year outside hitter Kalli Wall, and junior middle blocker Jennifer Ngo, each recorded kills during the run. The teams split the next eight points before a Levy kill tied the score at 22. Though Kenyon claimed the next point, Case Western Reserve won the next three to take the first set.  

With the score tied at 3 in the second set, the Spartans went on an 11-2 run to claim a nine-point advantage. The teams traded points until two kills and a block gave CWRU a 22-10 lead. After dropping the next three points, the Spartans won the final three to claim a 2-0 advantage.

The third set was tightly contested with the score tied multiple times early on. With the score even at 16, Case Western Reserve used a 6-1 run to lead 22-17. The Owls cut their deficit to two points, 22-20, but the Spartans responded by winning the next three and claiming the match.

Ngo led the team with 12 kills, and sophomore outside hitter Rea Marfatia tallied 10 kills and nine digs. Senior setter Sara Rogers had 23 assists and 11 digs, while junior libero Alyssa Blessinger dug out a team-high 13 attacks.

CWRU 3, Denison 2 (25-16, 25-18, 15-25, 21-25, 15-13)

With the score tied at 3 in the first set, CWRU went on a 9-2 run to take a seven-point lead. Later in the set, the Spartans increased their lead to eight, 18-10, on a service ace by Marfatia. Later, she closed the set with two consecutive kills to give Case Western Reserve a 25-16 set victory. Marfatia led all Spartans with a season-high 15 kills and was second on the team with 13 digs.

Trailing 4-1 early in the second set, the Spartans used another 9-2 run on the service of Blessinger and junior defensive specialist Hannah Fox to claim a two-point advantage. Leading 14-12, CWRU won five of the next six points to increase the lead to six. The Big Red fought back within four, 20-16, but kills by Marfatia and Wall and two Marfatia service aces brought the Spartans within one point of clinching the set. Denison won two more points before Case Western Reserve finished the set with a kill by Wall.

Denison led by nine points late in the third set, 21-12, and won the last three points to stay alive in the match. The fourth set was tied at 10 before Denison won eight of the next 11 points to take a five-point lead. CWRU responded with a five-point run on the service of sophomore setter Ansley Yamaato to tie the score at 18. Both teams won three of the next six points to tie the score at 21 before Denison won the last four points to force a decisive fifth set.

In the final set, the hosts were four points away from completing the comeback, leading 11-7. Two Spartan kills brought the visitors within two, and Ngo teamed with Marfatia and sophomore outside/right side hitter Chloe Maciejewski on two blocks to tie the score at 11. Fox recorded an ace to put Case Western Reserve ahead for the first time in the set, and Marfatia added to the lead with a kill on the next point. Denison ended the Spartan run at 6-0 with a kill to get within one, before Ngo and Marfatia blocked an attack to bring the Spartans within one of the match win. The Big Red won the next point, but a block by Marfatia and first-year middle blocker Amanda Ngo secured the CWRU win.

Wall tied a career-high with 14 kills in the match, and Rogers finished with 26 assists and 10 digs. Overall, the Spartans had 12 team blocks, with Jennifer Ngo contributing seven total blocks and Marfatia adding four.

The Spartans return to Horsburgh Gymnasium on Wednesday for a midweek non-conference matchup with Heidelberg University at 7 p.m.