MARIETTA, Ohio – The Marietta College volleyball team earned a split against John Carroll University, on Friday (April 2) evening, when they dropped game one 3-2 (22-25, 25-12, 25-15, 24-26, 6-15), and took game two in straight sets, 3-0 (25-19, 25-13, 25-20). The splits makes the Pioneers record 6-6 overall and 6-6 in the Ohio Athletic Conference, and the Blue Streaks are now 6-8 overall and 6-8 in OAC action.
"Tonight the women showed a lot of heart and fight for our seniors. It was great to see them bounce back and battle to take the second match of the night," said Head Coach
Kristy Newman.
John Carroll jumped out to an early 7-2 lead in the opening set. Mid way through the set, Marietta battled back to make the score 17-16 in favor the Blue Streaks. The Pioneers rally saw kills from
Sam Ritenour (Jeffersonville, Ohio/Miami Trace),
Becca Phelps (Mansfield, Ohio/Madison Comprehensive), and
Maggie Fellers (Alliance, Ohio/Marlington). John Carroll responded and won the first set, 25-22.
Marietta started the second set strong, and led 6-2. The early Pioneer offense came from Ritenour,
Maris Kaiser (Lewis Center, Ohio/Olentangy),
Maddie Nader (Vermilion, Ohio/Vermilion), and Fellers. Later in the set, Marietta pulled away by scoring seven of eight points to lead 15-6. The run was highlighted by a block from
Hailey Fuller (Newark, Ohio/Granville), and Kaiser. The Pioneers maintained control of the set, and took set two 25-12.
Marietta carried its momentum over to the third set, as they scored four unanswered points to open the frame. Ritenour and Fuller each had a pair of kills to start the set. The Pioneers maintained a steady lead and held a 16-11 edge midway through the frame. Marietta scored the final three points of the set, to win 25-15, as Nader closed the set with an ace.
The fourth set was a hard-fought battle early, as the set was tied six times, and remained deadlocked at 9-9. The Blue Streaks scored five of the next six points, to take a 14-10 advantage. The Pioneers answered back with six straight points and led 16-14. The run was sparked by a pair of kills from Ritenour. John Carroll responded to tie the set at 21 points apiece. The Blue Streaks scored the final three points of the set, to win 26-24.
The fifth and final set was close early, as the frame remained tied at four points apiece. The early Marietta offense came from Kaiser, Fellers, and Phelps. John Carroll closed the set on an 11-2 run and won the final frame 15-6.
Offensively in game one the Pioneers were led by Fellers, she had a game high 20 kills, and one block assist. Ritenour added 17 kills in the game, and a pair of block assists. Defensively Marietta was led by
April Davis (Aurora, Ohio/Aurora), she tallied a game high 21 digs, and a service ace. Nader,
Braya Elsea (Circleville, Ohio/Logan Elm), and
Makayla Schilling (Blacklick, Ohio/Licking Heights) each added 14 digs in the match.
In the first set of game two, the Pioneers steadily outscored the Blue Streaks, and held a 13-5 edge. The run saw kills from Kaiser, Fellers, and Ritenour. Late in the opening set, John Carroll scored six straight points, to trim the Marietta edge to 22-19. The Pioneers scored the final three points, and won the set 25-19, when Kaiser drove home the final kill.
The Pioneers jumped out to a 4-0 edge to open the second frame. The points came from an ace from Davis, and kills by Fellers, and Fuller. Marietta continued to play well and saw its lead grow to 8-2, behind an ace from
Abbi Thompson (Commercial Point, Ohio/Teays Valley). The Blue Streaks battled back, to cut the Pioneers advantage to 13-11. Marietta ended the second set on a 14-2 run, and won 25-13. The run was sparked by four kills from Fellers, and four kills from Phelps.
The third set was close early, with the Pioneers on top 4-3. Ritenour led the way early with a pair of kills. Later in the set, Marietta stretched out a 10-5 edge, behind a pair of aces from Fellers. John Carroll answered with six consecutive points, and took an 11-10 edge. The Pioneers rattled off eight of the next 10 points, and held an 18-13 advantage. Kaiser, Feller, Phelps, and Ritenour had kills during that span. Marietta maintained its edge and won the set 25-20, to win the match in straight sets.
Offensively in game two the Pioneers were led by Fellers, she had a game high 13 kills, and nine block assists. Ritenour added 10 kills in the game, and a four block assists. Defensively Marietta was led by Schilling, she had 13 digs in the match and a service ace. Elsea and Thompson each pitched in with 11 digs in game two.
The Pioneers will return to the court Tuesday (April 6) when they travel to take on Muskingum, with the first game scheduled to begin at 6 p.m.
Fans can follow all of the Pioneer teams all year long at
pioneers.marietta.edu. You can also follow the Pioneers on Facebook at
facebook.com/MariettaCollege and @MariettaPioneer on Twitter and Instagram.
