Yellow Jackets Rally to Knock Off Spartans

DEFIANCE, OHIO -- After trailing two sets to one, the Defiance College Yellow Jackets rallied to win the final two sets and knock off the Manchester (Ind.) University Spartans, 3-2, in a Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference battle in North Manchester, Ind.

The opening set saw Manchester (11-9, 3-3 HCAC) take a quick 12-10 lead. But Defiance (6-11, 2-2 HCAC) rallied to score with three straight points to take a 13-12 margin. The Spartans came back to take an 18-15 lead and led, 21-18, before senior Mikayla Dennis (Bryan) served her team to four straight points to regain the advantage for DC. But the Spartans then scored three straight to get to match point, but a kill by sophomore Marissa Windau (Castalia/Margaretta), followed by an attack error with consecutive blocks from Windau and junior Meredith Shank (Maumee/Springfield), gave DC the 26-24 opening set victory.

Neither team saw a lead of more than three points for the majority of set number two. With the score tied at 18-18, a kill from freshman Jessica Davis (Delta) and a block from Jessica Davis and freshman Emma Seitz (Toledo/Central Catholic) gave the Jackets a 20-18 lead. But Manchester went on to score the final seven points of the set to turn the deficit into a 25-20 set two win.

Each team exchanged three points to open the third, but a kill from Jessica Davis and back-to-back Spartan errors gave DC an 8-5 advantage. Manchester chipped away to cut the lead to 14-13 before going on an 8-0 spurt to take a 21-14 swing, which they would not reliquish in taking the set, 25-21.

Manchester led, 6-4, early in the third set. A kill from Seitz made it 6-5 and began an 11-0 Yellow Jacket run that saw all of Manchester's momentum come to an end. In the run, Seitz led the charge with five kills while Shank finished it with two spikes of her own. MU scored three straight before Shank and Windau combined for kills on four of the five ensuing points to take a 21-10 lead. DC would finish the set to take it 25-14 and drive the match to a fifth and deciding set.

The final set saw the Jackets and Spartans tie at 6-6. Defiance then scored eight consecutive points that saw two aces from freshman Abigail Cronin (Lambertville, Mich./Cardinall Stritch Catholic) and five Manchester attack errors en route to DC reaching match point at 14-6. Following two points by the Spartans to make it, 14-8, Seitz sealed the victory for the Jackets with a kill to take the set 15-8 and the overall match, 3-2.

Shank and Seitz led the Defiance attack with 13 kills apiece, giving Seitz her new career high, while Jessica Davis and Windau added eight spikes each. Senior setter Ari Mahaffey (Porter, Ind./Chesterton) finished the night with a season-high 47 assists.

On the defensive side, Dennis led the charge with 27 digs, while Cronin added 11 digs and Mahffey chipped in with 10 digs.

Defiance will return to action on Friday, Oct. 14 with a non-conference road match against the Adrian (Mich.) University Bulldogs. The match is set to begin at 6:30 p.m. at Merillat Sport & Fitness Center in Adrian, Mich.