Volleyball downs Mount St. Joseph 3-0, Hanover (Ind.) 3-1 on day one of OAC/HCAC Challenge

By Caleb Scott

ADA -- The Ohio Northern volleyball team opened the first day of the OAC/HCAC Challenge with a 3-0 victory over Mount St. Joseph and a 3-1 victory over Hanover (Ind.).

The Polar Bears improve to 12-3 overall.

Freshman McKenna Jordan (Toledo/St. Ursula) led the way for Northern in the first game in she posted a game high in kills (11) and digs (9).

Senior Ashley Borchers (Russia/Russia) and freshmen Sydney Fecko (Aurora/Trinity) each added eight kills for Northern.

Borchers posted a game-high 30 assists and a game-high .667 hitting percentage.

After winning the first set against Mount St. Joseph 25-8, the Polar Bears used a 6-1 run to gain an early advantage in the second set.

After Mount St. Joseph closed the gap to 8-5, back-to-back kills from Fecko push the lead to 10-5.

The Polar Bears would go on the win the second set 25-15. 

After the Lions opened the third set with a 6-3 lead, ONU would use a 10-0 run behind three kills from Jordan to gain the 13-6 lead. 

In the second contest, freshman Chelsea Huppert (Bremen, Ind./Bremen), junior Haley Potters (Wheelersburg/South Webster), Borchers and Fecko each posted 10 kills. 

Borchers posted her fifth double-double of the season as she added a game-high 38 assists.

Junior Megan Nieszala (Lambertville, Mich./St. Marys Catholic Central) posted a team-high 21 digs, while Jordan, freshman McKenna Hostetler (Plain City/Alder) and sophomore Michaela Sharlow (Tiffin/Columbian) added 18, 14 and 11 digs, respectively. 

After splitting the first two sets, Northern was able to gain control of the match as they took the third set 25-17.

ONU would use an early 6-1 advantage in the third set en route to a 25-19 game four victory.

Northern will return to action Saturday morning as they take on Transylvania (Ky.) at 10 am and Bluffton at 2 pm.