Volleyball topped by Transylvania on the road

LEXINGTON, Ky.- The Defiance College volleyball team traveled to Transylvania University for a doubleheader. The first match counted toward the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference standings, and despite an opening set win, Defiance dropped the match 3-1 (25-22, 16-25, 16-25, 15-25). In the second non-conference match, the Yellow Jackets lost in straight sets 3-0 (16-25, 15-25, 21-25). 

Defiance picked up a close opening set victory, dominating at the net, recording three block assists and a solo block. The Pioneers edged out the Yellow Jackets in set two as they tallied four service aces. Transylvania kept the momentum to take the third and fourth set to stay undefeated in HCAC play. 

Junior Mackenzie Benham led the Yellow Jacket attack with 15 kills while adding 12 digs and two solo blocks. Sophomore Riley Davis added nine kills, while junior setter Brianna Wheeler dished out a team-best 34 assists. 

Defensively, senior Morgan Porter led the Purple and Gold with a game-high 23 digs. Two other Yellow Jackets tallied double-digit digs, including Wheeler and Alexis Kiessling with 12 and 10 digs. 

Defiance ended with a .111 hitting percentage (39 kills and 22 errors 153 in attempts), compared to .244 (56, 18, 156) for Transylvania. The Yellow Jackets were active at the net, recording eight block assists and two solo blocks compared to the Pioneers with 1 and ten.

In match two, the Pioneer offense was in full swing as Transylvania took a 2-0 set advantage after the first two sets. Defiance did not go down without a fight, as Wheeler kept the Yellow Jackets in striking distance with two consecutive service aces late in the third set, but Transylvania was able to hang on, taking the match in straight sets. 

Benham and Davis headed the Yellow Jacket offense once again, recording eight and five kills, respectively. Tre'Ana King led Defiance in match two with nine digs and a pair of aces, while Wheeler tallied 11 assists and two aces as well. 

Defiance slips to 3-4 in HCAC play and 4-9 overall on the season. The Yellow Jackets are scheduled to play their final home games of the 2020-2021 season on Tuesday, February 16, as they host the Bluffton University Beavers for a pair of matches. First serve is scheduled for 6:00 pm with game two to follow.