Meghan Botsch

Hayley Nash

For the first time since 2012, The College of Wooster volleyball team was victorious in its North Coast Athletic Conference lid-lifter, as the Fighting Scots turned aside host Oberlin College 25-19, 20-25, 25-19, 28-26 on Tuesday evening at Philips Gymnasium.

Two early kills by first-year Hayley Nash, plus kills from seniors Anna Medema and Cami Miller comfortably staked Wooster (7-8, 1-0 NCAC) to a 7-1 first-set lead. Later, junior Meghan Botsch dug into her well of tricks for consecutive kills from the setter position, which bumped Wooster back into the lead at 15-13. A 6-3 stretch late in the set included a double-block by sophomore Katie Billetdeaux and Medema, as the Scots opened up a five-point lead at 23-18.

Wooster nearly overcame an eight-point deficit in the second set after a Scots' ball handling error upped Oberlin's (7-6, 0-1 NCAC) lead to 18-10. Billetdeaux and Nash tallied two kills each during the Scots' ensuing 6-0 run, and the Yeowomen's Iyanna Lewis' attack error pulled the Black and Gold within 18-16. This time a late-set 6-3 stretch the other way enabled Oberlin to close out the frame.

Nash's kill at 11-10 ultimately tipped the third set in favor of Wooster, and Billetdeaux followed that up with one of her two aces on the night. The Yeowomen were within one at 16-15 before two Medema kills book-ended a 4-0 run, and Wooster was never substantially threatened down the stretch.

In the fourth set, a late Medema kill kept the Yeowomen from sending the match to a decisive fifth frame, and Oberlin again had a second chance to tie the match at two all. Botsch pushed the ball over on the Scots' second touch on the next point, and it found the floor to tie the set at 26. Next, Billetdeaux connected for a kill on a quick set after a Yeowomen free ball, and that set up match point for Wooster. Then, Medema wasted no time ending the match, as Oberlin couldn't get a good handle on her victory-clinching ace.

Nash upper her season-high in kills to 21, and that's the most since Erica Skillman's 21 versus Thiel College on October 20, 2012. Botsch dished out 50 assists, a total tied for the second-most in a four-set match in program history during the current scoring era. First-year Sydney Fitzcharles matched her season-best with 24 digs, while Billetdeaux and Medema tied for the team lead in blocks at three.

Natasha Radic led Oberlin with 13 kills, while Maura Gibbs tallied 20 digs and nine kills. The Yeowomen were held to a .092 attack percentage for the match.

Next, Wooster's back at Timken Gymnasium to take on Ohio Wesleyan University (4-11, 0-0 NCAC) at 7 p.m. on Friday, September 27.