Yellow Jackets Split Final Matches at Marcia French Invite

UNIVERSITY CIRCLE, OHIO  --  The Defiance College Volleyball team split a pair of matches on the final day of the Marcia French Memorial Tournament at Case Western Reserve University in University Circle, Ohio. The Yellow Jackets opened with a four-set loss to Case Western, while they finished with a three-set win against Denison University.

Case Western (8-0) opened the match with a quick 13-6 lead against Defiance (2-6). The Yellow Jackets would battle their way back into the set and trailed 20-17 in the late going. DC rallied to score eight of the final 11 points that included a kill from junior Meredith Shank (Maumee/Springfield), to open the match with a 25-23 victory over the unbeaten Spartans.

The second set opened up even, with neither team leading by more than two points for much of the set. Tied at 10-10, Case rattled off four straight points and seven of the next nine to jump to a 17-12 lead. The Spartans rolled from there and tied the match at one set apiece with a 25-16 set win.

The host team continued in the third set where they left off in the second by scoring 11 of the first 15 markers to take a commanding lead. DC clawed their way back to within three points on a kill by sopohomore Brooke Plummer (Plain City/Jonothan Alder) to cut the deficit to 17-14. However, Case finished by scoring five of the final six to grab a 25-17 third set win to take a 2-1 lead in the match.

The Spartans contiued their dominance early with a 13-4 lead to open the fourth set. Case held on to a double-digit lead for much of the set and take the set 25-14 and remain undefeated with a four-set win.

Defiance was led on the attack by Shank, who finished the match with 14 kills. Plummer also finished with double-digits with 10 spikes. Defensively, senior Makayla Dennis (Bryan) led the way with 25 digs, while also dishing out six assists. Junior Jaidyn Patridge (Toledo/Springfield) added 12 digs, as well. Senior setter Ari Mahaffey (Porter, Ind./Chesterton) led the way with 33 assists in the loss for Defiance.

Defiance finished the tournament by cruising to a 25-20, 25-18, 25-23 victory against the Denison Big Red (2-6).

Both teams exchanged blows in the first set, with neither team leading by more than two points for the first half of the set. Denison ended that streak by taking a 15-12 lead. They led 17-14 when Defiance went on a run, scoring eight of the final 11 points of the set, finishing on a kill by freshman Jessica Davis (Delta) to take the opening set, 25-20.

With the second set tied, 5-5, DC scored eight of the next nine to lead, 13-6, highlighted by three kills from junior Danielle Robbins (Westland, Mich./Wayne Memorial) during the spurt. Defiance led, 16-8, before seven consecutive markers by Denison roared them back to within a point at 16-15. DC got right back to their successful ways, scoring five straight off the serve of Dennis to take a 21-15 lead, which they rode to a 25-18 second set win.

With the Big Red leading 8-6 early in the third set, Mahaffey served to seven consecutive DC points which led to a 13-8 advantage. The game of runs shifted Denison's way for five straight of their own to tie the match right back at 13-13. Denison then got back out front at 20-16, but Defiance wouldn't go away as they scored four straight to even the set at 20-20. The match was tied at 23-23 and Defiance would score on back-to-back attacking errors by the Big Red to take the set 25-23 and grab a straight-set win.

Shank and Robbins led the way for the Yellow Jacket attack with 11 and 10 kills, respectively. Shank's 11 attacks and one error on 22 attempts gave her an astounding .455 hitting percentage for the match. Defensively, Dennis led the charge again wtih 22 digs and six assists, while Mahaffey would handle the setting duties with 38 assists while adding 13 digs. 

The Yellow Jackets open up the home portion of the schedule on Tuesday, Sept. 13 as they welcome the Heidelberg University Student Princes to the Karl H. Weaner Center. The match will begin at 7 p.m.