Mayia Karagianni

Ashley Plassard

Seniors Ksenia Klue and Taylor Mathews logged double-doubles, while The College of Wooster's strong presence at the net led to nine key blocks, as the Fighting Scots topped John Carroll University 3-1 (22-25, 25-19, 25-23, 25-17) on Tuesday evening at University Hts., Ohio.

The match began to turn Wooster's (6-4) way midway through the second set, but the Scots did have a strong showing in a tightly contested first set that featured 11 ties and seven lead changes. Wooster led the frame as late as 21-20 courtesy of a kill by Mathews before John Carroll (2-7) closed out the set with a 5-1 run.

John Carroll started to pull away in the second set at 13-10, but the Scots roared right back with an 7-0 run to lead the frame 17-13. Klue started the run with one of her team-high 16 kills before junior Mayia Karagianni took charge with a kill and a block. Next, a kill by junior Marija Cyvas pushed the lead out to two, and that was followed up with Wooster's second block of the run in advance of a Klue ace that closed out the charge.

Wooster charged out of the gate in the third set with a 9-0 run, thanks to a pair of aces served up by Mathews. Sophomore Erica Roberts proved to be one of the other keys during the set-opening burst with a block and a kill on back-to-back points. John Carroll gradually chipped away at its deficit, and took a short-lived lead at 23-22 before Wooster recovered nicely to take the lead back on a block by Klue and junior Ashley Plassard. Klue then put the set away with a kill.    

The Scots led the fourth set wire-to-wire, but were really clicking on all cylinders late in the set thanks to a 4-0 run that extended the lead to nine at 20-11. Karagianni keyed the quartet of points with back-to-back kills. Similar to the third set, a kill by Klue closed the frame.

Klue logged 12 digs in addition to her 16 kills for her seventh double-double in 10 matches this season, while Mathews is one behind Klue in the double-double department thanks to 37 assists and 12 digs.

Karagianni's stat sheet featured a career-high nine kills to pair with two blocks. Other states of note include three blocks each by Plassard and Roberts, while junior Gabrielle Basinski filled the dig column with 23.

John Carroll's Sara Calabrese led all student-athletes with 20 kills while Caitlin Cianciolo added 21 digs.

Next, Wooster returns home for the annual Ginny Hunt Kilt Classic, held at Timken Gymnasium, Sept. 15-16.