#16 Volleyball rolls past Marietta 25-13, 25-11, 25-12
By Blake Moore
ADA - The #16-ranked Ohio Northern women's volleyball program upended Ohio Athletic Conference foe Marietta College 25-13, 25-11, and 25-12 for a three-set sweep Saturday afternoon inside the ONU Sports Center in Ada.
With the victory, the Polar Bears move to 12-3 overall with an undefeated 2-0 mark in OAC action this season. Meanwhile, the Pioneers drop to 8-12 in 2018 and fall to 0-1 in league play.
Northern would be guided offensively by the efforts of former AVCA All-American and current junior middle hitter Chelsea Huppert (Bremen, Ind.) and junior outside hitter McKenna Jordan (Toledo/St. Ursula).
Huppert recorded a team-best 15 kills on 27 total attacks with no errors, giving her an impressive .556 hitting percentage on the afternoon. The junior would also pitch in a dig and a block to cap her performance.
Jordan would also record a double-digit kill performance, finishing second on the team with 11 kills on 28 total attempts. She would contribute a pair of digs and record a .286 attack percentage on the afternoon as well.
Sophomore setter Katie Wade (Battle Creek, Mich./Harper Creek) would lead the Polar Bears with 23 assists in the conference affair. Freshman setter Kiki Carle (Cincinnati/Mother of Mercy) wound up second on the team as she dished out 10 helpers after entering the match in the third set.
Defensively, Ohio Northern would be led by junior defensive specialist/libero McKenna Hostetler (Plain City/Alder), who posted 15 total digs and also led the team with two service aces. She has now recorded 10-or-more digs in her last nine matches.
As a team, the Polar Bears registered a .316 team hitting percentage, resulting in 42 total kills Saturday afternoon. They would also record 45 digs and a pair of blocks as a team in the victory.
Ohio Northern will return to the court Tuesday, October 2 as they battle Baldwin Wallace in an Ohio Athletic Conference affair. Match time is scheduled for 7 p.m. inside the Ursprung Gymnasium at the Lou Higgins Center located on BW's campus.
