Wooster Continues Season at Denison

The College of Wooster's "fall in the spring" volleyball season continued on Saturday with host Denison University taking both matches from the Fighting Scots. The Big Red won 25-17, 25-17, 19-25, 25-19 and 25-17, 25-12, 21-25, 25-16.

Wooster's (0-4) presence at the net was the theme in match one, with the Scots logging 10 blocks, six of which came in the third set. There, junior Katie Billetdeaux and sophomore Hayley Nash stuffed Denison's (2-0) Sidney Gossard at 7-6, and a Billetdeaux solo block on Jenna Corrao padded Wooster's lead to 9-6. Later, first-year Caroline Dillard and junior Seven Townsel teamed up to block Lucy Anderson, and at that point, Wooster's lead grew to 14-8.

Denison pulled within 16-15 on Anderson's third-set service ace, but Wooster was back in the driver's seat after Billetdeaux's kill and Dillard's solo block. In fact, Wooster went on a 5-0 run after Anderson's ace, and that was part of a larger 9-4 closing stretch.

Nash's eight kills led Wooster in match one, but the Scots featured a very balanced attacking core with sophomore Emily Gail (7), senior Meghan Botsch (6), Billetdeaux (5), and Townsel (5) accounting for all but one of the Scots' other kills in the match. Botsch tallied a double-double with 23 assists and 12 digs, while Nash's 17 digs marked the team-high. Dillard's seven blocks were the match-high.

Anderson's 14 kills went down in the books as the match-high, while Gossard was right behind with 13. Emma Woerner's 18 digs led three Big Red players in double figures.

The two team's defensive efforts stole the show with the Big Red hitting just .101. The Scots hit .062.

Wooster took charge late in nightcap's set three to fend off Denison's bid for a three-set victory. Nash's seventh kill of the frame pulled Wooster within 17-16, then Gail tied the set with her second kill of the match. A solo block by first-year Troy Johnson pulled Wooster ahead at 18-17, however the Big Red tied the match at 19 on Emma Goss' kill. Nash answered right back with a kill for the go-ahead point at 20-19, and the pre-architecture major capped the set with a ninth kill to keep the match alive.

Nash's 17 kills marked the match-high in the nightcap, while she had a double-double with 19 digs. Townsel's 25 digs led all players on both sides.

Payton McElfresh turned in the big match for the Big Red with 21 digs and 13 kills, while Corrao added 20 digs.

Denison hit .189 in match two, while Wooster finished at .102.

Next, Wooster's slated to close out its season with two matches against Kenyon College on Saturday, April 3. First serve is set for 11 a.m.