The Case Western Reserve University volleyball team came from behind to defeat Marietta College 3-1 (24-26, 25-22, 25-17, 25-23) in a non-conference match on Wednesday night at Horsburgh Gymnasium in Cleveland.
The Spartans improved to 12-4 on the season with the win, while the Pioneers fell to 5-7.
Sophomore outside hitter Kalli Wall had a team-high 13 kills and added four block assists. Senior middle blocker Jennifer Ngo recorded double-digit kills (11) for the seventh consecutive match and totaled nine blocks to move into sixth in program history with 284 career blocks. Defensively, senior libero Alyssa Blessinger paced the squad with 20 digs, and senior setter Ansley Yamaato and junior setter/right side hitter Carly Scott each added 11. Scott (21 assists) and Yamaato (15 assists) split the setting duties for CWRU in the match.
After a back-and-forth start to the first set that saw Marietta lead 6-5, CWRU used an 8-1 run to take a six-point lead, 13-7. The Pioneers won the next three points to cut their deficit to three, but CWRU increased its advantage to six points, 19-13, on a service ace by Blessinger. The Pioneers won the next five points, trailing just 19-18, but a kill by Ngo and a block by Ngo and junior right side/outside hitter Chloe Maciejewski gave the hosts a three-point advantage. Two straight Marietta points made the score 22-21 and led to a CWRU timeout. Following the break, a kill by junior outside hitter Rea Marfatia put the Spartans up two. The teams split the next two points, giving CWRU the serve and set point. However, the visitors took the next four points to win the first set, 26-24.
The second set also began tightly with Marietta leading 7-6 early. However, a 7-1 Spartan run gave Case Western Reserve a 13-8 advantage. The teams split the next four points with the Spartans maintaining a five-point lead. A Pioneer attacking error put CWRU up six, 16-10. After four straight split points, Marietta won the next three to cut its deficit to three and prompt a CWRU timeout. The Pioneers put down a kill to make the score 18-16, but an attacking error gave Case Western Reserve a three-point lead. Two consecutive Marietta kills, including on a long rally, cut the Spartan lead to one. Wall recorded kills on the next two points to prompt a timeout for the visitors. An attacking error gave CWRU a 24-19 lead, but the Pioneers kept the set alive by scoring the next three points. After a Spartan timeout, Ngo and Wall blocked a Marietta attack to even the match.
Marietta took a 5-4 lead early in the third set, but seven straight Spartan points gave Case Western Reserve an 11-5 advantage. Behind a 6-3 run, the visitors cut their deficit to three, 14-11. CWRU rebounded by winning six of the next seven points to extend the team's lead to eight, taking advantage of three consecutive Pioneer setting errors. The Spartan lead was cut to just five, but on the service of Blessinger, the hosts ended the set on a 5-2 run to claim a 2-1 advantage in the match.
Junior middle blocker Lily Crouch started the fourth set with two consecutive blocks to ignite a 6-2 opening run. Marietta tied the score at 11 and took a lead in a set by claiming the next point. CWRU won four of the next five points to earn a three-point advantage, but the hosts could not extend their lead further. Following a kill by Wall to make the score 21-19 in favor of the Spartans, Marietta won the next three points to take a 22-21 lead in the set. Wall responded with her 12th kill of the match, and after a Marietta point, she put down her 13th kill to tie the score at 23. The Spartan block forced a Marietta attacking error to put CWRU one point away from the match win, and Ngo buried an emphatic attack to clinch the victory.
The Spartans next head to Tiffin, Ohio, for a tri-match hosted by Heidelberg University on Saturday. Case Western Reserve faces Muskingum at 2 p.m. before a matchup against the host Student Princes at 4 p.m.
