Jackets Fall Short of Upset Bid Against Hanover

DEFIANCE, OHIO -- The Defiance College volleyball team put a scare into the Hanover (ind.) College, but the Panthers were able to maintain their perfect HCAC mark and win the Heartland Conference title outright with a five-set victory, 3-2. (26-24, 21-25, 25-22, 22-25, 4-15). 

In the opening set, Defiance (10-14, 5-4 HCAC) opened with a quick 4-0 advantage. They kept the lead through most of the set, but Hanover (24-7, 9-0 HCAC) rallied to tie it up at 21-21 in the late stages. The teams traded points until it was knotted at 24 and DC put it away with consecutive kills from junior Meredith Shank (Maumee/Springfield) and sophomore Marissa Windau (Castalia/Margaretta) as DC won, 26-24.

The Panthers flipped the script and took a 4-0 advantage early in set number two, but DC rallied back to eventually take a 16-15 advantage midway through. After the Panthers tied it, Defiance got back-to-back spikes from Shank and sophomore Brooke Plummer (Plain City/Jonothan Alder) to put Defiance up 18-16. Hanover seized momentum and went on to end the set on a 9-3 spurt to take the set, 25-21, and square the match at one set apiece.

Defiance dominated to open the third set and took a 12-6 lead before Hanover scored five straight points to cut the lead back to a point. The Panthers continued with momentum taking a 20-18 lead late in the third. DC took the lead back by scoring six of the next seven points, leading Hanover, 23-21. Hanover added a point before two straight kills from freshman Emma Seitz (Toledo/Central Catholic) gave the home team a 2-1 lead with a 25-22 victory in the third set.

The fourth set began as a back-and-forth affair, with Hanover holding a 16-15 edge. Three straight Panther points made it 19-15 before Windau grabbed a kill and an ace, and Seitz added a kill to cut the deficit to 20-19. Hanover then scored four straight points to get to set point, but DC battled with three straight points of their own before falling in set number four, 25-22.

The final set was dominated by the Panthers, who scored five straight to open the set and then, while leading 8-3, scored six consecutive points to make it 14-3. Hanover won the set 15-4 to win the match in five grueling sets by the final of 3-2.

The Yellow Jacket offense was led by Seitz, who finished with a season-high 21 kills. Shank chipped in with 13 kills of her own, while Windau added nine kills. Senior setter Ari Mahaffey (Porter, Ind./Chesterton) led the way with 47 assists. 

Defensively, senior Makayla Dennis (Bryan) led DC with 29 digs, while Mahaffey added a season-high 20 pickups. Freshman Abigail Cronin (Lambertville, Mich./Cardinall Stritch Catholic) and senior Dia Jackson (Detroit, Mich./Canton) added 11 and 10 digs, respectively for Defiance.

Defiance will be the fourth seed in the 2016 HCAC Tournament which begins on Wednesday, Nov. 2.  DC will host fifth-seeded Manchester (Ind.) University at 7:30 p.m. at the Karl H. Weaner Center.