Scot Spikers Continue Winning Ways With 3-0 Conference Sweep Over Hiram

WOOSTER, Ohio - The College of Wooster continued its winning ways with a straight-set victory over Hiram College in North Coast Athletic Conference action on Friday night inside Timken Gymnasium. The Fighting Scots swept the Terriers by scores of 25-20, 25-19, 26-24 to improve to 12-9 overall on the year and 6-2 in conference play, and also snap an eight-match losing skid to Hiram dating back to the 2005 season.
          
The Terriers (11-13, 6-3 NCAC) hung around in the opening set, as Wooster couldn't seem to pull away. With Wooster up by a point, 17-16, the Scots rattled off a quick 3-0 run, and never looked back in the 25-20 win.
           
In the second set, the Scots again turned a one-point lead, 13-12, into a 17-12 advantage due to a quick 4-0 spurt.  Wooster kept the momentum of its side at the end of the set, and cruised to the 25-19 victory.
           
Hiram raced out to a 5-2 start to begin set number three, but Wooster utilized a 9-3 run, and took an 11-8 lead. The visitors answered back with a 5-2 spurt of their own, tying the set at 13-13. Looking to put the match away, the home team reeled off a 4-1 run, but the Terriers didn't give in, knotting the score once again at 17-17. The set was tied at 22-22, 23-23, and 24-24, before Wooster sophomore Amanda Gottesman tallied a service ace for the hosts, coupled with a Hiram hitting error, and gave the Scots the set win at 26-24 and the match victory.
           
Offensively, the Scots were led by junior KateLynn Riley with 14 kills with three errors on 24 attempts for a .458 hitting percentage. Seniors Abbie Casey and Megan Earle along with freshman setter Lizzi Beal chipped in each knocking down eight kills, respectively. Additionally, Beal racked up 33 assists in the victory.
           
Defensively, senior Ali Drushal paced the Scots with 16 digs from her libero position, while Earle also notched double-digit digs with 11. At the net, Riley finished off an all-around performance with a block solo and four block assists, while freshman Sarah Hawke recorded a block solo and three block assists to go along with three kills.
           
Wooster, winners of eight of its last 10 matches, will look to keep that surge going when it travels to Granville, Ohio, on Saturday and takes part in a tri-match. First, the Scots will do battle with NCAC foe Denison University (6-12, 3-4 NCAC) at 11 a.m., followed by a non-conference match with Capital University (19-5) at 1 p.m.