Yellow Jackets drop home conference match to Earlham

DEFIANCE, Ohio - The Defiance College volleyball team dropped a Wednesday night conference match to Earlham in straight sets (23-25, 18-25, 17-25). 

Earlham improves to 6-15 overall and 1-3 in the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC). Defiance drops to 3-16 overall and 0-5 in the HCAC. 

Set one was close and competitive early. Trailing 10-7, the Yellow Jackets put together a rally to take a 12-10 lead. Shelby Clements had three kills during the run and Madison Schoenauer added one kill. The Quakers responded and won seven of the next eight points to regain a 17-13 advantage. Trailing 24-19 and facing set point, the Yellow Jackets got kills from Clements and a service ace from Jaelyn Tomoletz to get within one, 24-23. However, Earlham closed out the set with a kill from Liv Kyrk on the next point to claim set one 25-23.

The Yellow Jackets got kills from Shelby Clements, Kaylynn Wellman, and Madison Schoenauer to start  set two on a three-point run. The Quakers responded to get back into the set and the set was tied at 11 after a service error from Amina Chamoun. Trailing 17-14, the Yellow Jackets got a kill from Wellman and attack errors from their opponent to tie it at 18. That would be the last point for Defiance in the set as the Quakers scored the final eight points and clinched it on an attack error from Schoenauer (blocked by Lily Virgili) to win set two and they would carry that momentum into the third set. 

Earlham jumped out to a 10-5 in the third set after a kill from Jaelyn Tomoletz started the set. The Yellow Jackets early on would also get kills from Madison Schoenauer, Shelby Clements, and Kaylynn Wellman. The only time Earlham trailed was after the first point. Leading 17-13, the Quakers took control by winning four of the next five points to lead 21-14. The Quakers would also win four of the final five points to claim the set and the match and closed it out with a kill from Caylee Brandes. The lone point for Defiance was a solo block by Shelby Clements. 

The Yellow Jackets finished the match with 24 kills, 22 assists, and 45 digs. Earlham ended with 39 kills, 31 assists, and 45 digs. 

Shelby Clements led the offense with eight kills. Courtney Maxwell led the team in assists with 13 and Emma Chafins finished with a team-high 15 digs. Jaelyn Tonoletz added five solo blocks. 

The Yellow Jackets will travel to Grand Rapids, Mich. this weekend, Friday (Oct. 20) and Saturday (Oct. 21) for the Midwest Invitational to wrap up non-conference play. All games are hosted by Calvin University and the Yellow Jackets will begin the tournament against the number three ranked team in the country, Hope College, Friday night at 5 p.m.