Scots Earn First NCAC Semifinal Berth Since 2012

GRANVILLE, Ohio – The College of Wooster volleyball team will be playing in the North Coast Athletic Conference Tournament semifinals for the first time since 2012, as the Fighting Scots swept aside Oberlin College 25-17, 25-13, 25-21, then avenged a regular-season heartbreaking loss to Hiram College, by sweeping the Terriers 25-23, 25-12, 25-12 on Friday at Denison University's Livingston Gymnasium. Now, Wooster has a date with NCAC champion Denison at noon on Saturday at Livingston Gymnasium, with the winner advancing to the 7 p.m. tournament championship match, which will also be hosted by the Big Red.

Junior Hayley Nash, who was announced as a repeat first-team All-NCAC selection between Friday's victories, set the tone with seven of her match-high 16 kills in set one of the Oberlin (11-13) victory. The final one was monumental, with fellow first-team All-NCAC pick Syd Case passing out assist 1,000 on the year. The senior's the first Scot since Autumn Berry in 2012 to hit the four-digit threshold in a season.

The noteworthy points kept coming through the match. In set three, senior Katie Billetdeaux's kill that pulled Wooster (19-8) within 3-2 marked her 300th of the year. Wooster's second-team All-NCAC honoree, who already surpassed her previous career-high in kills, gave the Scots two players with 300-kill seasons for the first time since the 2012 season. Earlier in the match, Billetdeaux dominated at the net with four blocks in set one, with the second capping the Scots' near-opening 8-0 run.

Billetdeaux finished with nine kills and five blocks, while Nash tallied a double-double, thanks to 10 digs. Case came two assist shy of averaging 12 per set during the Oberlin win, and junior Sydney Fitzcharles took top honors on the team in digs (12) and aces (3).

Cami Sweet's six kills led the way for Oberlin, while Taylor Gwynne added a double-double courtesy of 19 assists and 15 digs.

Wooster hit .259, aided in large part by a .459 showing in set two. Oberlin hit just .058 for the match.

In the nightcap, Wooster fired off four straight kills to take a late 23-21 lead on Hiram in set one. Billetdeaux was responsible for two of them, and she finished off the set with the clinching kill. Strong closings carried through, with senior Seven Townsel putting away back-to-back kills during Wooster's second-set-closing 4-0 run. In the third, junior Emily Gail's kill set the stage for a match-closing 9-2 run. Four different Scots had a kill during the final stretch, and first-year Lucy Kinser and Fitzcharles added aces, with the latter coming on match point.

Nash finished the Hiram match with 16 kills, surpassing 400 for the year in the process. The junior outside hitter ranked third in the match with 12 digs. Billetdeaux was next in attacking at 10 kills, and Case came one set closer to averaging 12 per frame than earlier in the day.

Wooster did a good job mitigating Hiram's (14-15) primary options, with Kayla Franks and Kayla Cole combining for just 13 kills on 51 swings with four errors.

The Scots hit .259 to the Terriers' .087.

In addition to advancing to the NCAC Tournament championship match, Wooster can secure its first 20-win season since 2011 with a win over Denison. 

Photos courtesy of Levi Rex, NCAC.