The Case Western Reserve University volleyball team split a pair of matches on Saturday at the Anne C. Steele Center in New Concord, Ohio, on the campus of Muskingum University, defeating Mount St. Joseph University in four sets before falling to 15th-ranked Marietta College in three sets.

The Spartans moved to 4-8, while the Lions dropped to 5-6, and the Pioneers improved to 7-1.

Offensively, senior outside hitter Kalli Wall led the team with 26 kills, and senior middle blocker Amanda Ngo added 25 kills, reaching double digits in both matches. Sophomore defensive specialist Sophia Datto finished the day with 41 digs, and sophomore setter Elena Esquivel had 40 assists across two matches.

CWRU 3, Mount St. Joseph 1 (25-14, 25-21, 20-25, 25-22)

First Set

• With the score tied at seven in the first set, CWRU used a 6-2 run to open a four-point advantage in the stanza
• Ngo opened the run with back-to-back kills
• After a service error, the Spartans won six of the next seven rallies to pull ahead by eight, 19-11
• CWRU ended the set on a 6-2 run to earn a one-point lead in the match

Second Set

• The Spartans used an early 7-2 run to open a five-point lead in the second period
• Senior middle blocker Kiya Levy had a pair of kills during the run
• A service error put the team ahead by six, 13-7, and the Lions cut the deficit to four
• However, Case Western Reserve responded to each MSJ run and kept their six-point advantage
• Trialing 20-14, the Lions roared back, winning six of the following seven points to cut their deficit to one
• After a timeout, the Spartans forced an attacking error that was followed by an MSJ kill
• Levy then finished the set with three kills in the next four rallies, giving Case Western Reserve a 2-0 edge

Third Set

• Mount St. Joseph took an early lead in the third stanza, but CWRU remained within three points for most of the set
• The Lions won four consecutive points to take a 17-10 lead
• The Spartans used a 4-0 run to cut the deficit to three, 21-18, but that would be the closest they would come to claiming the lead, eventually dropping the set 25-20

Fourth Set

• Looking to end the match, the Spartans opened the fourth set with five points in a row with Levy and Wall each contributing two kills
• A 5-1 run brought the Lions within one, but the CWRU responded with a 4-1 run to lead by five once again
• After MSJ cut its deficit to two, Case Western Reserve won five of the next seven points to take a 17-12 advantage
• Following four points in a row for the Lions, the Spartans took a timeout, clinging to a 17-16 lead
• Wall put down a kill to give the team a two-point lead, but back-to-back Lion kills tied the score at 18
• A kill by Wall, her 15th of the match, broke the deadlock, but Mount St. Joseph tied the score at 19, 20, and 21
• After a MSJ kill put the Lions ahead for the first time in the set, the Spartans regrouped after a timeout and forced an attacking error
• Wall followed with back-to-back kills to give Case Western Reserve a chance to serve for the match. An attacking error by the Lions concluded the set

CWRU 0, #15 Marietta 3 (21-25, 28-30, 20-25)

First Set

• With Marietta leading by three, the Spartans used three kills from Ngo and one from Wall to take an 11-10 lead
• The Pioneers then won six of the next eight points to reclaim their three-point advantage, but three consecutive Spartan kills tied the score at 16
• Ngo and Esquivel buried back-to-back kills to give CWRU a 19-18 edge, and a Marietta attacking error pushed the lead to two
• The Pioneers reclaimed the advantage, but Case Western Reserve tied the score at 21
• However, Marietta won the final four points of the set to take a 1-0 lead in the match

Second Set

• The teams traded the lead early in the second set with neither ahead by more than three points
• A 6-1 Marietta run gave the Pioneers a 19-15 edge, but the Spartans tied the score with an 8-4 run, capped by a kill from Wall
• With the score at 23-23, the teams traded six points as CWRU fought off three set points
• An attacking error gave Case Western Reserve a chance to serve for the set, but Marietta responded with back-to-back points to take a 28-27 lead
• Ngo buried a kill to tie the score at 28, but the Pioneers finished the set with two points, giving them a 2-0 match lead

Third Set

• Trailing 6-5 early in the third stanza, Marietta won seven points in a row to take a six-point lead
• CWRU cut into its deficit, trailing 16-13 on a kill by Ngo and 18-16 following a Pioneer attacking error
• Marietta won four of the next five rallies
• Case Western Reserve responded with a 3-1 run, but the Pioneers closed the match with two points

Spartan Notes

• CWRU dropped to 0-3 against foes in the AVCA Top 25 this season 2025
• The Spartans improved to 3-1 against the Lions since 2011 with all four matches played on neutral courts
• Case Western Reserve dropped to 5-4 against Marietta in the last 20 years, falling in three sets in back-to-back seasons
• The Spartans entered the weekend 14th in Division III in digs, 17th in blocks, and 32nd in assists
• Sophomore setter Avery Basinger had 26 assists and 16 digs in the two matches, and junior defensive specialist Sude Naz Item dug out 19 attacks in seven sets

Up Next

The Spartans return home for a matchup against Oberlin College on Wednesday, September 17 scheduled for 7 p.m. inside Horsburgh Gymnasium.