Wooster Wins a Set Off Wittenberg in Saturday's Loss

WOOSTER, Ohio – The College of Wooster volleyball team won a set off perennial North Coast Athletic Conference power Wittenberg University for the first time since 2016, but the Tigers took Saturday's match at Timken Gymnasium 25-15, 25-10, 22-25, 25-16 to remain undefeated in league action.

Wooster (13-7, 2-3 NCAC) senior Katie Billetdeaux's kill broke a 17-17 tie in the third set, and the Fighting Scots' middle immediately served up an ace. Next, back-to-back Wittenberg (15-6, 5-0 NCAC) attack errors opened a three-point lead for Wooster. Later, junior Hayley Nash connected on her fourth kill of the set to make it 23-21, and the Scots' top hitter was at it again two points later to make it set point. Billetdeaux's kill capped the set, with Wooster's top middle and Nash combining for 10 kills on 17 swings with just one error in the frame. Wooster hit .286 during the set it won, and the Scots had three blocks, including two apiece from seniors Brooke Swain and Seven Townsel.

Junior Sydney Fitzcharles kept 19 Wittenberg attack attempts alive over the course of the match, including two where she laid out for on the same rally in set two. Nash put home the point for Wooster, in what marked the Scots' biggest highlight from the other three frames.

Wittenberg's success came from having a hitting percentage of at least .200 in each set, and the Tigers had a sideout mark of at least 75 percent in the three sets they won, including two above 80 percent.

Nash turned in her 10th double-double of the year with 15 digs and 14 kills. Billetdeaux supported the attacking efforts with 11 kills, and her four blocks were tied for tops on the day. Case passed out 40 assists and rounded out the Scots in double digit digs at 10.

Hannah Schartz paced the Tigers with 17 kills, while Tyler Linkhart added 14 to go along with a .444 hitting percentage. Dakota White's 25 digs were the match-high.

Wittenberg hit .257 to Wooster's .094.

Next, Wooster heads to Kenyon College (2-14, 0-5 NCAC) for a 7 p.m. match on Tuesday, October 19.