CLEVELAND -- Playing on a Thursday for the first time all season, the Heidelberg University volleyball team rocked and rolled their way to a 3-1 victory over Case Western Reserve University. After dropping the opening set, the Student Princes took the next three, winning 21-25, 25-21, 25-19, 25-20.
The opening set loss snapped a string of 19 straight sets won.
Amy Feczer (15),
Maddie Szawranskyj (12) and
Taylor Valentine (10) all reached double-digits in kills,while
Olivia Cristian (9) came up just short. Feczer hit .500 on the night.
Anna McNabb tallied 32 assists while Julianna Pena had 21.
Libero
Sarah Oney amassed 20 digs -- her 11th match of the season with 20+ digs. Valentine had 15 digs and
Peyton Miller added 11.
Outhit .375 to .186 in the first set, Heidelberg (19-3) seemed out of rhythm at the onset. Seven straight points helped the hosts amass a 13-7 lead. HU was able to scratch their way back into the set with a 4-0 that got them to within three at 15-12. The Berg would get as close as one on two occasions, but the Spartans (6-13) held off the charge and won the set.
In the second set, CWRU continued to apply pressure on the visitors. With Heidelberg down 17-10,
Jason Miller called a timeout. From there, the Tricolor seemed inspired. With the deficit down to five at 19-14,
The Berg watched as the Spartans stumbled. Three CWRU errors, followed by an ace and a kill by Valentine tied the match at 19. After a give and take, Heidelberg scored the final five points of the set. A McNabb ace was sandwiched between two kills apiece from sophomores Feczer and Szawranskyj.
Tied at 10 in the third, HU went on a 10-4 run to take control of the set. Heidelberg attacked at a team-high .308 in the set and emerged with a six-point win.
The momentum in the fourth set, much like the first three, seemed to oscillate between the teams. Knotted at five, HU took an 11-6 lead with a 6-1 run. CWRU responded by closing to within two at 14-12. Three straight points by the Student Princes prompted a timeout by the hosts. With some much-needed breathing room, Heidelberg got out to a 20-14 lead. Case would score four in a row, which forced Miller into taking a timeout. His squad regrouped and won the next four points -- powered by three Szawranskyj kills. After CWRU staved off match point twice, Szawranskyj ended it with an emphatic kill.
Heidelberg has won their last eight matches and are now 8-0 in true road matches.
After a rare weekend without competition, Heidelberg resumes play on Tuesday. The Student Princes host Baldwin Wallace (18-2, 1-1 OAC) for a key conference battle. The match will begin at 7 p.m.
