Jackets Split Matches on Opening Day of DC Invitational

DEFIANCE, Ohio – Defiance College split a pair of five-set contests on Friday, topping Dominican in the afternoon match before falling just short to Concordia in the night cap. DC will look to round out its pool play with a winning record when it takes on Olivet at 11:00 am on Saturday.

The Jackets started the day on fire, hitting a blistering .414 in the first set win over Dominican. DC smacked down 15 kills in 29 swings and led the entire set against the Stars, en route to the quick 25-16 win.

The two sides then exchanged wins over the next three to set up the decisive game five. The Stars opened up a 6-1 advantage in the finale, before a kill from Kristen Nicely sparked a furious comeback by Defiance. The Jackets ended the set on a 14-4 spurt, including a 7-0 run to seal the 25-16, 25-27, 25-21, 26-28, 15-10 victory.

Nicely filled the stat sheet in her finest collegiate performance to date. The Ayersville High product slammed down 18 kills in 42 swings for a .333 hitting percentage and added nine digs and eight blocks. Lipps was equally impressive, totaling 18 kills in 41 attempts for a .341 clip and adding 12 digs and two total blocks.

The strong play at the net was the difference in the match for DC, as the Jackets collected 16 total blocks in the five-set match and committed only 23 hitting errors to DU's 41.

The night cap saw more back and forth action, as Defiance pulled out a 25-23 victory in the opening set against Concordia. With DC facing a 21-20 deficit, a Lauren Aldridge kill drew the Jackets even, before a Kelsey Ferguson ace and back-to-back kills from Bria Gendron and Nicely boosted DC to the 24-21 advantage. Concordia would score the next two points to draw within one, but Nicely iced the win with her seventh kill of the set.

In the second set, neither team managed a lead of greater than two points, as each side battled evenly from the opening serve. Kills from Nicely and Sarah Porter gave DC set point chances at 25-24 and 26-25, but Concordia refused to fold and pulled out the 28-26 win.

Defiance rebounded from the tough defeat and took control of the third set midway through the action. With the score tied at 8-8, the Jackets went on a 5-0 spurt and never looked back as they coasted to the 25-17 victory.

That would prove to be DC's final win of the night however, as a tough Concordia squad took the 25-21 fourth-set win before coming from behind late in the fifth set for the 15-13 win.

Lipps and Nicely were DC's top hitters once again, as the duo combined to tally 37 kills in 99 swings. Ferguson was the star of the contest for Defiance however, as the sophomore setter dished up 55 assists to go with five aces and eight digs.

Defiance moves to 6-5 with the split on Friday and will play two more on Saturday with the first slated for 11:00 am against Olivet (1-9). DC will then close out the weekend with a match at either 1:00 pm or 3:00 pm.