From Case Western Reserve University Athletics

Junior outside hitter Katie Best (Sewickley, Pa./North Allegheny) and sophomore middle hitter Kayla Pfaff (Powell, Ohio/Olentangy Liberty) racked up eight kills apiece to lead the Case Western Reserve University volleyball team to a 3-0 win versus local rival John Carroll University on Wednesday evening at Horsburgh Gymnasium.

The Spartans improve to 8-4 headed into a weekend off from competition. The Blue Streaks see their seven-match win streak snapped and fall to 9-2 for the year.

Best hit .467 for the match and added a team-high 15 digs to the defensive effort. Pfaff hit a whopping .500 and contributed three block assists. Overall, the Spartans totaled seven blocks as a team.

CWRU jumped out a 9-0 lead in the first set, but the Blue Streaks would rally to tie the score four separate times late. With the set knotted at 23, Best scored two straight points on a kill and a well-placed service ace. In the second, the Spartans fell behind 9-4 before reeling off a 15-9 run to grab a 19-18 lead. JCU scored the next three, but CWRU answered with a 6-1 run to close the set. Then in the third, the Spartans built and early advantage and led from start to finish.

In addition to Best and Pfaff, junior outside hitter Carolyn Bogart (New Berlin, Wis./New Berlin Eisenhower) contributed seven kills. Junior Robyn Marks (Waterford, Mich./Waterford Mott) and freshman Jessica Justice (St. Augustine, Fla./St. Augustine) split the setting duties with 17 and 14 assists, respectively. Marks also added 12 digs for her 14th career double-double.

Sarah Orlandi led the Blue Streak attack with eight kills, while Kit O'Shaughnessy posted a double-double of 27 assists and 15 digs.