The Case Western Reserve University volleyball team split a pair of matches at the second University Athletic Association round robin on Sunday at the Ratner Athletic Center in Chicago, sweeping the University of Rochester but falling to fifth-ranked Emory University 3-1.
The Spartans ended the day with a record of 16-5 and a mark of 3-2 in the UAA. The Yellowjackets fell to 12-6 overall and 0-5 in conference play, while the Eagles improved to 14-0 and 5-0 in the UAA. With two matches remaining in the UAA round robin schedule, CWRU is tied for third place, two games behind Emory in the standings.
CWRU 3, Rochester 0 (25-15, 25-13, 25-19)
After Rochester tied the score at five in the first set, the Spartans went on a 10-2 run to take a 15-7 lead. Following a service error, CWRU used a 7-2 run to lead by 12. Rochester won the next three points, but a service error and block by junior right side/outside hitter Chloe Maciejewski and junior middle blocker Lily Crouch put the Spartans one point away from clinching the set. Following two Yellowjacket points, a kill from Crouch gave Case Western Reserve a 1-0 lead in the match.
Down 4-3 early in the second set, the Spartans went on a 10-3 run to take a six-point lead. Both sophomore outside hitter Kalli Wall and junior outside hitter Rea Marfatia recorded three kills during the stretch. Following a Rochester kill, an 8-2 CWRU run put the Spartans ahead 21-10. Senior middle blocker Jennifer Ngo recorded the last point of the run with a service ace. The Yellowjackets earned the next point, and the teams split the next four. Kills by Wall and Crouch ended the set with a score of 25-13 in favor of CWRU.
Rochester tied the score at four at the start of the third set, but a 7-2 Spartan run put the team ahead 11-6. The teams split the next eight points, and a Yellowjacket attacking error gave CWRU a 16-10 advantage. Rochester responded by winning five of the next six points to make its deficit just two, but two straight attacking errors increased the Spartan lead to 19-15. After a Rochester point, five consecutive Case Western Reserve points gave the team a 24-16 lead. The Yellowjackets kept the match alive by winning the next three points, but a kill by Ngo ended the match to give the Spartans their seventh consecutive win.
Wall led the team with 11 kills, and Ngo added nine. Defensively, senior libero Alyssa Blessinger had a team-high 14 digs, and senior defensive specialist Hannah Fox recorded a career-high 10 digs. Senior setter Ansley Yamaato contributed 17 assists and junior setter/right side hitter Carly Scott added 11.
#5 Emory 3, CWRU 1 (25-20, 17-25, 14-25, 22-25)
Emory started the match with a 10-6 run, opening a four-point lead on Case Western Reserve. However, the Spartans won seven of the following eight points to take a two-point lead. The Eagles quickly tied the score at 13. Two kills by Ngo, a service ace by Marfatia, and an Emory attacking error put the Spartans ahead by four. Three consecutive Emory points cut the CWRU lead to just one. Case Western Reserve responded by securing four of the next five points with Crouch giving the team a 21-17 lead with back-to-back kills. The teams then split the next five points. Ngo put down a kill to give the Spartans a 24-20 lead, and an Emory attacking error gave CWRU a 1-0 lead in the match.
The Spartans stayed close early in the second set, trailing just 8-6. A 7-1 Emory run extended the Eagles lead to eight, but the Spartans responded with four straight points to halve the deficit. However, a 6-1 Emory run gave the Eagles a nine-point lead. CWRU could cut its deficit to five, but were unable to close the gap any further, dropping the second set.
In the third set, Emory opened a 11-point lead, 20-9, with a 10-2 run. The Eagles did not look back, taking a 2-1 lead in the match.
Facing the end of the match, the Spartans battled to start the fourth set, taking a 10-8 lead on a kill by senior right side hitter Lauren Himmel and an Emory attacking error. The Eagles responded by winning six of the next seven points, but CWRU reclaimed the lead with four straight points, including kills by Ngo, Wall, and sophomore middle blocker Kiya Levy. After Emory tied the score at 15, two straight points put the Spartans ahead for the fifth time in the set. The Eagles took the next four points to claim a two-point advantage, and Case Western Reserve was unable to tie the score for the remainder of the contest, falling 25-22.
Ngo paced the team with 15 kills with Marfatia adding 11 kills and seven digs. Scott recorded 27 assists and six digs, and Blessinger had a team-high 20 digs.
The Spartans return home on Wednesday for a non-conference contest, facing Hiram College inside Horsburgh Gymnasium at 7 p.m.
