Volleyball drops matches to Mount Union and Case Western Reserve in final day of CWRU Tournament

Photo credits to Amy Hafer. 

CLEVELAND, Ohio - The Defiance College volleyball team dropped their final two matches in Cleveland Saturday afternoon to Mount Union and the host Case Western Reserve Spartans. The losses drop Defiance to 0-7 while Mount Union improves to 5-2 and the Spartans move to 7-1. 

Vs. Mount Union (L, 3-0)

The Yellow Jackets were unable to overcome a slow start in this one as the Purple Raiders won the match in straight sets by scores of 25-13, 25-11, 25-18. 

An error by Mount Union and a kill by Shelby Clements gave the Yellow Jackets a 2-0 start. With the set tied at three, the Purple Raiders won the next two points and would hold the lead for the rest of the set. With the Raiders leading 15-9, they won the next eight points for a 23-9 advantage. 

The Yellow Jackets got off to a rare slow start in set two as Mount Union won the first four points. A kill by Abby Altizer put the Yellow Jackets on the board. Mount Union gifted Defiance three points to make it 6-4 Purple Raiders but that was as close as the Yellow Jackets would get in the second set as the Raiders rallied for the victory which included winning the final five points of the set after a kill by Shelby Clements. 

Mount Union would dominate the third set that included jumping out to a 9-0 lead. Another kill from Clements finally put the Yellow Jackets on the board and the kill was assisted by fellow freshman Amina Chamoun who made her collegiate debut in the match, 

Shelby Clements led the team in kills with nine and Abby Altizer finished with four. Amina Chamoun recorded 12 assists and Emma Chafins finished with a team-high 16 digs. 

As a team, the Yellow Jackets ended the match with 23 kills, 17 assists, and 43 digs. Mount Union finished with 40 kills, 39 assists, and 60 digs. 

At Case Western Reserve (L, 3-0)

The Yellow Jackets would drop the final match to the host Spartans in straight sets by scores of 25-13, 25-14, 25-14. 

The Spartans scored the first two points but Jamia Murray answered with a kill to cut the deficit in half. Towards the end of the set, Kaylynn Wellman recorded a kill and an attack error from Case Western's Emily Goodpaster had Defiance trailing 21-13. After that error, the Spartans went on to win the final four points to take the set. 

Case Western would jump out in set two by winning 11 of the first 13 points. The two points for Defiance came from one kill each by Wellman and Murray. Murray and Shelby Clements would both record kills late in the set but it wouldn't be enough as the Spartans once again won the final four points of the set. 

With set three knotted at four, the Spartans won the next seven in a row to take control of the set. 

Clements led DC in kills with nine and Kendra Kline added nine assists. Emma Chafins finished with a team-high 11 digs. Carly Scott led the Spartans with 21 assists. 

As a team, the Yellow Jackets finished with 24 kills, 23 assists, and 32 digs. Case Western ended with 31 kills, 31 assists, and 37 digs. 

The Yellow Jackets play their home opener Tuesday night against Trine at 6:30 p.m.