Defiance Beats Westminster, Falls to Case

DELAWARE, OHIO  --  The Defiance College volleyball team swept Westminster (Pa.) College, 3-0, in their first match on the fianl day of the Ohio Wesleyan Invitational, while falling in the nightcap to Case Western Reserve University in a five-set battle, 3-2.

In the opening match, the Yellow Jackets (3-8) earned a 25-20, 25-16, 25-23 sweep of the Titans.

The DC attack was led by junior Meredith Shank (Maumee/Springfield) with 12 kills on the morning. Senior Hope Neargarder (Union City/Mississinawa Valley) chipped in with 11 spikes for DC. The defense was led by senior Ari Mahaffey (Porter, ind./Chesterton with 14 digs. Senior Makayla Dennis (Bryan) added 13 while Shank had 11 for the Yellow Jackets. Mahaffey also led the team with 38 assists on the morning.

In the final match of the tourney, Case (13-1) opened with a dominant opening set victory at 25-11. The Yellow Jackets would seize momentum and take the following two sets at 25-20 and 25-22. Case would grab the fourth set, 25-22, and then wrap up the match with a 15-10 set five win to take the match, 3-2.

Neargarder had a big afternoon to lead the Jacket attack with 16 kills, while Shank finished with double-figure kills once again with ten. Dennis paced the defense with 16 digs, while Mahaffey led DC in assists with 26.

Defiance will take a ten-day hiatus in action before traveling to Ada, Ohio to take on the Ohio Northern University Polar Bears on Tuesday, Sept. 27 at 7 p.m.