The 15th-ranked Case Western Reserve University volleyball team split a pair of matches at the Rike Center in Westerville, Ohio, on the campus of Otterbein University on Saturday, defeating the hosts in four sets but falling to Muskingum in five sets.

The Spartans moved to 18-4 overall, while the Cardinals fell to 14-8 and the Fighting Muskies improved to 10-9.

Muskingum 3, #15 CWRU 2 (20-25, 25-23, 25-19, 26-28, 8-15)

CWRU started the match by taking the first six points, but the Muskies fought back, claiming a four-point advantage with a 16-6 run. The Spartans tied the score at 18 and 19 on a service ace and service error. Muskingum won the next three points before a service error interrupted its run. However, the Muskies won the final three points to take the first set.

Neither team led by more than two points in the second set until Muskingum used a 5-1 run to take a 15-11 advantage. Case Western Reserve responded with a 6-1 run to reclaim a one-point lead, using a pair of blocks by junior Kiya Levy and a kill and service ace from senior Rea Marfatia. With the score tied at 19, Muskingum secured three of the next four rallies to lead by two. Junior Amanda Ngo followed with a kill, a block by Levy and senior Carly Scott tied the score, and Levy put the Spartans ahead with a kill of her own. After the Muskies tied the score at 23, kills from Marfatia and Levy evened the match score at one.

The Spartans led by as many as six in the third set, taking a 17-11 advantage on a kill by Levy. The Muskies cut their deficit to two, 19-17, but the Spartans won six of the final eight rallies to take a 2-1 lead.

Trailing by four in the fourth set, CWRU went on a 5-0 run to take its first lead of the set. The teams traded the lead with the Spartans leading by three, 20-17, on a block by Ngo and senior Lily Crouch. Muskingum responded by taking six of the following seven rallies, taking a 23-21 lead. The Spartans tied the score on a kill by Marfatia and gained a 24-23 advantage on a Muskie attacking error. The teams split the next two points, and Muskingum took a 26-25 lead on a service ace. The Spartans stayed alive with a Marfatia kill but back-to-back Muskingum points evened the match score at two.

Trailing 3-2 in the final set, Muskingum went on a 6-0 run to take a lead they would not relinquish to win the match.

Marfatia ended the match with a team-high 20 kills and career-high 28 digs. Defensively, Levy had a career-high nine total blocks, Scott had 24 digs, and first-year Avery Basinger finished with 20 digs. Basinger and Scott split the setting duties with the rookie concluding the match with 22 assists and the senior compiling 18 assists.

#15 CWRU 3, Otterbein 1 (21-25, 25-21, 25-23, 28-26)

In the second match of the day, the Spartans led 19-16 late in the first set. The hosts won nine of the final 11 points to take the first set by four.

A 9-3 run in the second set gave CWRU a four-point advantage, 13-9. Otterbein could only cut its deficit to three late in the set as the Spartans evened the match at one set a piece.

The Cardinals took an 18-17 lead in the pivotal third set. Ngo followed with a kill to tie the score and Basinger gave the Spartans the lead with a kill. A Marfatia kill increased the team's advantage, but Otterbein won three consecutive points to tie the score at 22. Marfatia and Levy put down back-to-back kills to put Case Western Reserve a point away from winning the set. After the Cardinals cut into their deficit, Marfatia ended the set with a kill.

Trailing 21-18 in the fourth set, CWRU cut its deficit to one with an Otterbein service error and a kill by Levy. The teams split the next five points, and the Cardinals led 24-22. Ngo and Scott partnered for a block to keep the set alive, and senior Chloe Maciejewski aced a serve to tie the score at 24. The teams split the next four points, with the Spartans twice fighting off set points. Marfatia put down back-to-back kills, ending the set and the match for CWRU.

Marfatia (19 kills) and Levy (10) both eclipsed double-digit kills in the match. Ngo finished four total blocks and eight kills. Marfatia led the Spartans with 18 digs, and first-year Sophia Datto totaled 17 digs. Scott had 23 assists against the Cardinals, and Basinger finished with 20.

CWRU will finish conference play with the third and final University Athletic Association Round Robin on Sunday in Pittsburgh. The Spartans will face host Carnegie Mellon at 12 p.m. and 19th-ranked Chicago at 2 p.m.

Spartan Notes

• CWRU improved to 5-7 against Otterbein since 2006 and fell to 7-5 against Muskingum since 2002
• Marfatia reached 20 kills for the third time this season in the match against Muskingum after having 25 kills on September 4 and 23 kills on September 13. Her 28 digs against the Fighting Muskies were a career high