Jackets Fall to Ohio Wesleyan At ONU Invitational

ADA, OHIO  --  The 2016 season got off to a rough start for the Defiance College volleyball team as the Yellow Jackets dropped a straight-set decision to Ohio Wesleyan University, 3-0, on the first day of the Ohio Northern University Invitational in Ada, Ohio.

Defiance (0-1) led early in set one, 5-2, following a kill by senior Ari Mahaffey (Porter, Ind./Chesterton).  OWU (1-0) then scored six straight points to take an 8-5 advantage and never trailed again despite the Jackets coming back to even the score on two occasions at 16-16 and 17-17.  With the score deadlocked at 17-17, the Battling Bishops put the set away with five straight points en route to a 25-19 win.

After surrendering the first two points to begin set two, DC came back with a 7-3 run that included a pair of kills by sophomore Brooke Plummer (Plain City/Jonathan Alder) to lead 7-5.  The Jackets maintained an 11-8 margin later in the set on a point by junior Sydney Unger (Frankfort, Ind./Clinton Central), but a 7-0 run by OWU put the Bishops on top, 15-11.  Defiance could not close the gap the remainder of the set as the Bishops cruised to a 25-16 final and took a commanding 2-0 match lead.

The third set saw the Jackets lead, 6-3, early on following a service ace by sophomore Megan Overmann (Lorain/Marion L. Steele).  After giving up the lead and trailing, 10-8, DC gained four straight points that included kills by Unger and senior Hope Neargarder (Union City/Mississinawa Valley) and an ace by Mahaffey to take a 12-10 lead.  The two teams played a competitive set the rest of the way with neither team leading by more than three points.  OWU had the first opportunity to clinch the match, 24-23, but another kill by Neargarder evened the set yet again.  The Bishops scored the next point and then sealed the set, and the overall match, on a DC error to claim the 26-24 set win and the 3-0 match victory.

The duo of Plummer and junior Meredith Shank (Maumee/Springfield) led the Yellow Jacket offense in kills with seven each.  Unger ended the match just behind with six kills.  Mahaffey tallied a team-high 14 assists and was followed by Overmann with 12 assists.  

Defensively, DC was paced by senior Makayla Dennis (Bryan) with a match-high 19 digs.  Mahaffey also finished in double figures in digs with 10.  Up front, sophomore Marissa Windau (Castalia/Margaretta) had three block assists to lead the team.

Defiance will conclude the ONU Invitational tomorrow (Saturday, Sept. 3) with a pair of matches beginning with Trine (Ind.) University at 11 a.m.  The Jackets will then take on Thomas More (Ky.) College in its final match at 1 p.m.