Laura Sherer

The College of Wooster volleyball team won sets one and three, but dropped a tightly-contested five-set match to host Franciscan University of Steubenville by a scoreline of 22-25, 25-22, 23-25, 26-24, 15-12 on Wednesday evening in Steubenville, Ohio.

The Fighting Scots (11-10) took the lead late in the opening set with a 4-0 run. An attack error by the Barons put Wooster up 20-19, then a kill by Savannah Moore pushed the advantage to two. Moore added another kill two points later, with the set being capped by an Ashley Plassard kill.

Franciscan had a late surge in the second set, utilizing a 5-0 swing to push ahead 17-14. Four kills from Moore closed the difference to two at 21-19, 22-20, 23-21, and 24-22, however, the Barons got the ensuing sideout each time.

The Scots utilized a late run to take the third set. Down 23-20, Wooster rattled off five-straight points, backed largely by two kills from Ksenia Klue. Lydia Webster and Megan Mey also recorded kills on the set-ending run, which was started by a Franciscan service error.

A solo block by Plassard put the Scots up 20-18 in the fourth frame before the Barons stormed back with five-straight points of their own to take a 23-20 lead. An attack error by the hosts tied the frame at 24 prior to consecutive kills by Dani Link.

Franciscan pulled out to a 14-9 edge in the fifth frame. Wooster was able to ward off three match points with two kills from Webster and one from Klue. Becca Haven clinched the match with her fifth kill of the night.

Moore (23 digs, 13 kills) and Brittany Nicholson (23 assists, 10 digs) finished with double-doubles for the Scots. Webster paced the attack with 16 kills, while Gabrielle Basinski and Laura Sherer combined for 55 digs.

Wooster will be on the road again Friday with a 6 p.m. tilt at North Coast Athletic Conference foe Hiram College (15-6, 3-2 NCAC).