Yellow Jackets Get Key HCAC Win At Anderson

DEFIANCE, OHIO -- The Defiance College volleyball team improved to 3-2 in HCAC play in the fight for a berth in the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference tournament with a four-set victory against the Anderson (Ind.) University Ravens in Anderson, Ind.

When leading the opening set 6-5, Defiance junior Jaidyn Patridge (Toledo/Springfield) served the team to nine consecutive points and DC (7-12, 3-2 HCAC) held a 15-5 lead. After two two points in favor of the Ravens (8-16, 2-5 HCAC), Defiance earned seven more points, this time from the serving of senior Makayla Dennis (Bryan) which led to 22-7 Defiance lead. Anderson made a run to finish the set, but the earlier DC lead was too great as the Yellow Jackets went on to a 25-16 first set win.

The second set saw the Yellow Jackets jump to a lead as high as 9-5 in its early stages. Four straight points tied the set at 9-9 and the teams exchanged points until it was tied at 12-12. Anderson jumped back up to an 18-14 lead that was dwindled back to a single point on a kill from freshman Jessica Davis (Delta). Anderson weathered the storm and edged Defiance, 25-22, to even the match at 1-1.

The third set saw multiple lead changes en route to an 11-11 tie. Defiance then seized momentum with six straight points thanks to the serving of Patridge to grab a 17-11 lead. Anderson knocked the deficit to as few as four points, but Defiance finished the set strong and concluded it on a kill from sophomore Brooke Plummer (Plain City/Jonothan Alder) to give Defiance a 25-19 third set victory.

Anderson started the fourth set on a hot streak with a 5-1 lead. The Ravens held the lead until a Defiance four point run tied the match at 15-15.  Neither team led by more than two points the rest of the way. Anderson had set pont at 24-22 before a kill by Marissa Windau and consecutive attack errors suddenly gave DC set point. Anderson grabbed two points before another Jessica Davis kill evened the set. A service error made it 27-26 Ravens, before two AU errors and an Ari Mahaffey (Porter, Ind./Chesterton) kill gave DC a 29-27 fourth set victory and a 3-1 win in the match.

The Defiance offense was led by freshman Jessica Davis with 16 kills on 35 attempts, finishing the match with a .400 attack percentage. Davis also had a team-high six blocks on the evening. Windau added 12 kills while junior Meredith Shank (Maumee/Springfield) chipped in with 11 kills. Mahaffey handled the setting duties for the Yellow Jackets, finishing with 45 assists.

Defensively, Dennis led the way with a school single-match high 39 digs, Patridge and Mahaffey added 11 digs apiece. Dennis' dig mark surpassed the previous school mark of 38 digs which has held by Heather Bradshaw since the 2008 season.

Defiance will return home on Saturday, Oct. 22 as they continue their fight for the HCAC Tournament with a matchup against Rose-Hulman (Ind.) Institute of Technology. The matchup is set for a 1 p.m. start at the Karl H. Weaner Center.