Ellie Gillespie records career-high 20 kills as Volleyball falls in five sets at No. 6 Mount Union

By Ashley Birchmeier

ALLIANCE — The Ohio Northern women's volleyball team fell to No. 6-ranked Mount Union 25-20, 23-25, 25-21, 22-25, 15-10 Saturday afternoon at the MAAC.

Junior Ellie Gillespie led the attack for the Polar Bears, recording a career-high 20 kills in the game, breaking her previous best of 18.

Junior Kaitlann Hogrefe finished the game with 13 kills and four digs, while sophmore Ashley Borchers added 47 assists and 20 digs.

The Polar Bears and Purple Raiders battled back and forth all afternoon.

ONU's largest deficit in set one was 20-14, but the Polar Bears were able to rally and score five straight points, 20-19.

Sophomore Claire Heitkamp recorded a kill to make the score 22-20 but the Purple Raiders were able to hold off the attack and win the set 25-20.

The Polar Bears dominated early in set two jumping to a 5-1 lead.

The attack was led by Gillespie and Hogrefe, who both recorded kills in the span. 

Mount Union didn't roll over as it was able to battle back off a kill from Mallory Sliman, 16-15.

Gillespie added two more kills to secure the 25-23 set two win. 

The Polar Bears out hit the Raiders in the set 14 kills to 13.

Mount Union was able to take set three 25-21 and recorded 17 kills to ONU's 11.

Set 4 Ohio Northern trailed 16-12, but rallied to tie the match at 18-all on back-to-back aces by Borchers.

Ohio Northern trailed by as much as four but was able to rally back and win set four.

Three consecutive kills by Hogrefe secured the 25-22 set four win. 

Set five saw Mount Union jump to an early 2-0 lead.

An ace by ONU junior Alexis Mills tied the game at 2. Mount Union was able to hold on scoring three of the last four points. 

Mount Union recorded 66 kills in the afternoon while ONU had 59.

The Raiders were lead by Nicole Snyder and Sliman with 13 kills apiece.

The Polar Bears are next in action Wednesday as they travel to Otterbein to take on the Cardinals at 7 pm.