MARIETTA, Ohio – The Marietta College volleyball team pushed Ohio Athletic Conference leader Otterbein in stretches Wednesday (Oct. 28) evening, including a tightly contested second set that came down to the final points, but the visiting Cardinals claimed a 3-0 victory (25-13, 26-24, 25-19) inside Ban Johnson Arena. The Pioneers move to 15-9 overall and 4-3 in the OAC, while 15th-ranked Otterbein improved to 22-3 overall and 7-0 in league play.
The Cardinals came out quickly, building a 4-0 advantage before Marietta answered with kills from
Emily Piehler (Medina, Ohio/Medina) and
Karley Allwood (Wadsworth, Ohio/Wadsworth). Otterbein maintained control throughout the opening frame, using a balanced attack led by Courtney Post, Chandler Crowell and Emerson Baum. Trailing 8-3, the Pioneers received a kill from Piehler to stop the run and later got points from Mackenzie Heil and a block from
Elyse Smith (Zeeland, Mich./Zeeland East) and
AnnaBelle Hacker (Centerville, Ohio/Alter) to trim the deficit. A late rally saw Marietta score four of five points, highlighted by a Piehler solo block, an Otterbein attack error, and a service ace from
Jayden Austermiller (Peyton, Colo./Springs Studio for Academic Excellence) that cut the margin to 20-11. The Cardinals quickly regained momentum, however, finishing the set with five of the final seven points. Heil delivered Marietta's last kill of the set before Otterbein closed out a 25-13 set one victory.
After the teams traded points early in the second set, the Pioneers used a three-point run behind Smith's serving. An Otterbein attack error followed by a Smith ace gave Marietta a 5-3 advantage. Kills from Piehler,
Karly Launder (Pleasant City, Ohio/Meadowbrook), Hacker and Heil helped the Pioneers stay in front through the middle stages. The set featured 12 ties and several lead changes as neither team could pull away. Back-to-back kills from Allwood and Launder pushed Marietta ahead 16-14, and another Heil kill later made it 17-15. Otterbein responded behind Post and Baum to knot the score at 19-19 and then moved in front 20-19. The Pioneers answered immediately. A Cardinal service error tied the set before Smith's serve sparked the biggest Marietta run of the night. Otterbein committed an attack error and then ran into a block from Allwood and Heil. Smith followed with another service ace, giving Marietta a 23-20 lead and bringing the home crowd to life. The Cardinals would not go away. Crowell recorded a pair of late kills, and after Marietta reached set point at 24-23 following another Otterbein attack error, the visitors rallied with the final three points. A Crowell kill tied the score, a block handed Otterbein the lead, and a final Marietta attack error ended the dramatic second set, 26-24.
After falling behind in set three 7-3, the Pioneers steadily chipped away. Kills by Hacker and Launder helped trim the deficit to 13-10, and Austermiller delivered a service ace during a three-point run that cut the margin to 13-11. Otterbein answered with consecutive points from Post and stretched the lead to 16-11 before Marietta mounted another charge. Piehler and Allwood recorded key kills, and a block by Heil and Allwood followed by a
Keatyn Haynes (Williamstown, W.Va./Williamstown) ace brought the Pioneers within 19-16. The Cardinals once again had an answer. Baum recorded several late kills as Otterbein pushed the lead back to five points. Marietta received late kills from Hacker and Launder to stay alive, but Post delivered the Cardinals' match-point kill before a final ace sealed the 25-19 set and the match.
Marietta was paced offensively by Launder and Piehler, who each recorded six kills. Allwood added five kills. Smith directed the offense with 20 assists and also collected two service aces. Defensively, Launder turned in a team-high 13 digs, while
Sarah Podkul (Greensburg, Pa./Hempfield Area) and
Emma Weiseman (Monroe, Ohio/Monroe) added seven digs apiece.
Marietta closes out the Ohio Athletic Conference regular-season schedule on Saturday (Oct. 31) afternoon when they host Baldwin Wallace at Ban Johnson Arena. The matchup is scheduled for a 1 p.m. start time. Prior to the match, Marietta will recognize its senior class for its contributions to the program.
Fans can follow all 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 X and Instagram.
