The Case Western Reserve University volleyball team dropped a hard-fought match to 23rd-ranked Ohio Northern University on Friday night at the ONU Sports Center in Ada, Ohio, falling in four sets, 22-25, 27-25, 14-25, 24-26.
The Spartans dropped to 8-2 on the season, while the Polar Bears improved to 8-1.
Sophomore outside hitter Kalli Wall led CWRU with a season-high 14 kills, with junior outside hitter Rea Marfatia adding 13 kills and senior middle blocker Jennifer Ngo contributing 12 kills. Senior setter Ansley Yamaato recorded a double-double with 10 digs and 13 assists. Senior libero Alyssa Blessinger had a team-high 13 digs, and junior setter/outside hitter Carly Scott paced the Spartans with 21 assists. Ngo tied a career high with nine total blocks.
After starting the first set down 5-0, CWRU cut its deficit to one by winning nine of the next 14 points. After a service error gave the Polar Bears a two-point lead, the Spartans went on a 7-1 run to claim a four-point edge in the set. Three Case Western Reserve blocks and two kills by Wall helped the visitors take the lead during the run. After Ohio Northern ended the run with a kill and brought the score within three, an attack error and a kill gave CWRU a 19-14 advantage. The hosts won the next five points to tie the score at 19, and the teams traded points until a Spartan attacking error gave the Polar Bears the lead. Marfatia tied the set at 22, but three consecutive ONU points ended the set in favor of the hosts.
After trailing early, the Spartans tied the score in the second set at six, nine, and 11, before taking a 14-11 lead on a kill by Ngo. ONU quickly reclaimed a 16-15 advantage, but CWRU tied the score at 18 with another Ngo kill. Ohio Northern was in position to take the second set, serving with a 24-22 lead, but a service error kept Case Western Reserve alive. Blessinger aced the next serve to tie the score at 24, and a kill by Wall gave the Spartans the lead. However, the hosts again tied the score at 25 before a Wall kill and a block by Ngo and junior right side/outside hitter Chloe Maciejewski tied the match for the Spartans.
Ohio Northern led by as many as 10 points in the third set, gaining a 17-7 advantage with the match score tied at one. CWRU would cut its deficit to six, but the team's attack was not enough to ever tie the score, leading to a must-win fourth set for the Spartans.
After trailing 5-2, the Spartans won the next six points on the service of Yamaato to hold an 8-5 lead. ONU eventually tied the score at 13, but Case Western Reserve won six of the next eight points to lead 19-15. Three kills by Wall, one each from Ngo and Scott, and a service ace by Blessinger put the Spartans ahead by four. Once again, however, the Polar Bears matched the Spartans, winning five of the following six points to tie the score at 20. A block by Ngo and Marfatia and an ONU attacking error gave Case Western Reserve the lead, but Ohio Northern tied the score at 22 and 23. Marfatia put down a kill to give CWRU a 24-23 lead and a chance to force a decisive fifth set, but ONU scored the next three points to secure the match win.
The Spartans continue play in Ada, Ohio, at the 44th Annual ONU Invitational tomorrow, facing fourth-ranked Calvin at 10 a.m. and Albion at 1 p.m.
