BEREA, Ohio -- The Albion College volleyball team improved to 17-2 on the season on Saturday afternoon with a pair of straight-set sweeps against No. 15 Otterbein College and Baldwin Wallace University.
Match One
The Britons rolled against No. 15-nationally ranked Otterbein College in their first match on Saturday, as Albion handed the powerhouse Cardinals their first 3-0 loss of the season, 25-23, 25-23, 25-17. On a neutral court at Baldwin Wallace, the Brits surged behind a strong defensive performance and a balanced attack on offense.
Paige Williamson flustered Otterbein's offense with a match-high 22 digs, as the junior registered double-digit digs for the 17th time this season.
On the offensive side of the ball,
Carly Frank and
Kayda Herrick led the charge for Albion with 13 and 12 kills, respectively.
Molly Edmunds tallied a match-best 30 assists and added nine digs as the Britons out-hit the Cardinals, .207-.120.
After overcoming Otterbein leads to take both the first and second sets, the Britons fired on all cylinders to seal the win in the decisive third frame. Albion floored 14 kills across the set, while swinging at a .286 clip, which were both team-highs for the match. After some early back and forth, Albion built a slim 10-7 lead off a kill from Herrick. Otterbein eventually knotted the score at 12-12, but the Britons refused to let the Cardinals back into the set. Albion responded with a monster 8-0 run to take a 20-12 advantage.
Bri Whitfield and Frank pummeled the Cardinals with two kills apiece during the barrage, which was capped by a service ace from Williamson. Albion never looked back as the Brits used the lead to cruise to a 25-17 win and seal the victory.
Match Two
Albion squared off with the host Yellow Jackets to close out the day. Fresh off the win over No. 15 Otterbein, the Britons maintained their momentum with another 3-0 sweep.
The Britons out-muscled Baldwin Wallace across the match and held advantages in kills (40-27), assists (36-26) and digs (49-42). Herrick turned in an all-around performance to help lift the Brits past the Yellow Jackets. The sophomore finished the match with a 12-kill, 11-dig double-double, adding in two services and one block to round out the effort. Herrick's 12 digs marked a match-high.
Frank matched Herrick's output with 12 kills, while
Margaret Jones chipped in eight to aid Albion's offensive effort. Edmunds pulled the strings for the offense with another 30 assist outing, marking her 18th consecutive match with 30 or more assists. Williamson and
Ava Wilcox helped keep Baldwin Wallace off the scoreboard with 10 and nine digs, respectively.
Up Next
Albion returns to MIAA play on Tuesday, October 14, when the Britons hit the road to battle Alma College. The match is set for a 6:30 p.m. start.
