The Case Western Reserve University volleyball team dropped a three-set match to the University of Mount Union on Wednesday night at Timken Gymnasium in Alliance, Ohio, falling 16-25, 23-25, 22-25.
The Spartans moved to 0-5 on the season, while the Purple Raiders improved to 3-2
First Set
- Mount Union opened the match with a 6-2 run, but CWRU tied the score at six with four consecutive points
- The visitors took an 8-7 lead on a kill by junior Emily Goodpaster; however, the Purple Raiders used a 7-3 run to reclaim the advantage
- The Spartans cut the deficit to one, 15-14. UMU scored 10 of the final 12 points to take the first set
Second Set
- The Purple Raiders continued their momentum in the second stanza by winning seven of the first 10 rallies
- A kill by senior Kalli Wall ignited a 6-1 CWRU run, giving the Spartans a 14-13 lead
- Mount Union retook the lead by winning the next two points and pulled ahead 20-16 by taking five of the following seven
- The Spartans fought back, eventually tying the score at 23 on a kill by senior Amanda Ngo
- However, a kill and a service ace closed the period for Mount Union to give the hosts at 2-0 advantage
Third Set
- Case Western Reserve led by as many as four points early in the third set, taking an 11-7 lead on a kill by sophomore Madeline Halter
- Mount Union tied the score at 13, 15, and 17 before a 4-2 run gave the Spartans a two-point lead
- The Purple Raiders claimed the next five points, turning a 21-19 deficit into a 24-21 lead
- A kill by Goodpaster kept CWRU alive in the match, however, the hosts ended the evening with a kill to complete the sweep
Spartan Notes
- The Spartans fell to 4-23 against Mount Union since the 2002 season
- Ngo paced the squad with nine kills, sophomore Sophia Datto had a team-high 23 digs, and sophomore Elena Esquivel led the team with 16 assists
- Junior Sude Naz Item added 14 digs
Up Next
CWRU will play its first match of the season at Horsburgh Gymnasium, hosting Heidelberg University on Friday night at 5 p.m. to open the CWRU Quad.
