MARIETTA, Ohio – The Marietta College volleyball team lost a key Ohio Athletic Conference match to Capital University Tuesday evening. The Crusaders defeated the Pioneer by the score of 3-1. Marietta falls to 14-14 overall and 4-4 in the OAC. Capital is 19-11 and 3-5. [Box Score]

With the loss, Marietta is now in a three-way tie for fourth place in the league standing. The Pioneers are tied with Ohio Northern and Baldwin-Wallace.

Marietta defeated B-W earlier in the season. The #4 seed in the OAC tournament will be on the line Saturday when the Pioneers travel to Ohio Northern. The top four seeds play at home in the first round.

Junior #Alex VanGundy (Powell/Olentangy Liberty)# led the Pioneers with 14 kills. Sophomore outside hitter #Paige DeVriendt (Bowling Green/Bowling Green)# added 11 kills, while sophomore middle blocker #Kathryn Hanssen# had 10 kills and a team-high four blocks.

Junior #Ally Jenkins (Twinsburg/Walsh Jesuit)# and freshman #Laura Mauer (Terre Haute, Ind./North)# split the setting duties for Marietta. Each finished the match with 23 assists. Defensively, junior libero #Jen Braun (Chagrin Falls/Kenston)# had a match-high 30 digs.

Marietta senior #Alex Weissling (Dublin/Dublin Scioto)# and freshman #Brittney Merritt (Akron/Copley)# both had 20 digs. Merritt added a pair of service aces.

The Pioneers' regular season finale is set for 7 p.m. Saturday at Ohio Northern.