Jackets Edged By Grizzlies on Senior Day

DEFIANCE, OHIO  --  The Defiance College volleyball team lost a 3-2 seesaw battle against Franklin (Ind.) College in a Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference match at the Karl H. Weaner Center on senior day.

Franklin (16-13, 5-3 HCAC) came out and captured the first set by a final score of 25-20.  Defiance (10-18, 5-4 HCAC) then took sets two and three with the scores of 26-24 and 25-18 to take a 2-1 overall match advantage.  This time, it'd be the Grizzlies who rallied taking the fourth set, 25-20, and forcing a fifth and deciding game.  The two teams went back-and-forth in the fifth set, but Franklin was able to gain a little breathing room late and managed a 15-13 victory and the 3-2 match win.

Three players recorded 10 or more kills to lead the DC offense.  Sophomore Meredith Shank (Maumee/Springfield) had 18 kills, followed by freshman Marissa Windau (Castalia/Margaretta) with 13 kills and junior Hope Neargarder (Union City/Mississinawa Valley) added 10 kills.  

Junior Ari Mahaffey (Porter, Ind./Chesterton) had a match-high 44 set assists and junior Makayla Dennis (Bryan) recorded the team's only service ace to round out the offensive leaders.

Defensively, senior Rebecca Kain (Orland, Ind./Prairie Heights) paced four Yellow Jackets in double figures in digs with a match-tying high 36 digs.  Mahaffey was second with 18 digs and Dennis was third with 16 digs.  Sophomore Jaidyn Patridge (Toledo/Springfield) was fourth with 14 digs.  

Up front, the trio of Shank, Neargarder and Mahaffey led the team in blocks with two assists each.  Windau also recorded a block on the day with a solo effort.

Defiance ends regular-season play with the match against Franklin.  The Yellow Jackets have already secured a spot in the 2015 HCAC Tournament which begins on Wednesday, Nov. 4.  DC's seeding and its opponent has yet to be determined.