DC Volleyball Ends OWU Invitational with Split

DELAWARE, OHIO  --  The Defiance College volleyball team split its final two matches on the final day of the Ohio Wesleyan University Invitational in Delaware.  The Yellow Jackets were defeated by Alma (Mich.) College, 3-0, but defeated Grove (Pa.) City College, 3-1.

In the match against Alma, the Scots won by the scores of 25-18, 25-19 and 25-9.  Individually for Defiance (3-10), freshman Marissa Windau (Castalia/Margaretta) had a match-tying high seven kills.  Junior Ari Mahaffey (Porter, Ind./Chesterton) was second with five kills and the duo of junior Hope Neargarder (Union City/Mississinawa Valley) and freshman Caitlyn Meyers (West Alexandria/Twin Valley South) both had three kills.  Mahaffey tallied all but one of the team's set assists with 13 and was also one of four players to record an ace offensively.

On defense, senior Rebecca Kain (Orland, Ind./Prairie Heights) had a match-high 18 digs and was followed by Mahaffey with 12 digs.  At the net, sophomores Meredith Shank (Maumee/Springfield) and Danielle Robbins (Westland, Mich./Wayne Memorial) both had one block assist.

Against Grove City, the two teams swapped victories in the first and second sets.  DC then captured a close third set before dominating the fourth set to claim the overall match, 3-1 (25-23, 24-26, 26-24, 25-6).  Shank was the lone player for DC to finish with 10 or more kills with a match-high 12.  Windau was second eight kills and Neargarder added seven kills.  Mahaffey tallied 31 of the team's 35 assists.  The Jackets also had a strong effort from behind the service line with 10 aces.  Junior Makayla Dennsi (Bryan) had four aces, while Kain and Robbins both had two aces.

Dennis also led the way defensively with 16 digs.  Kain and Mahaffey both tallied 14 digs.  Robbins led the team in blocks with five, including three solo blocks.  In addition, Mahaffey added three total blocks (two solo and one assist).

Following the invitational, Kain was selected to the All-Tournament Team.

Defiance will next travel to New Concord, Ohio for the OAC/HCAC Challenge hosted by Muskingum University next Friday-Saturday, Sept. 25-26.  The Yellow Jackets will play against host school Muskingum and Capital University on Friday in their first two matches.  The match against Muskingum is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m.