Aces, Mitchell's Career Match Lead Scots Past Alma

OBERLIN, Ohio – Senior Amelia Mitchell's career-high 20 kills, plus aggressive serving down the stretch from multiple College of Wooster volleyball team members, rallied the Fighting Scots past Alma College 25-12, 21-25, 23-25, 25-18, 15-7 on Friday afternoon at Oberlin College. Earlier in the day, Wooster fell to Grove City College 25-17, 25-20, 25-12.

Wooster (3-4) senior Tamara Turner served up two aces as part of a 4-0 run that opened set five. Later, first-year Catherine Muzilla, an Oberlin native, handcuffed Alma's (1-4) Grace Steiner for the Scots' third ace of the decisive frame. Wooster was comfortably ahead 10-5 when senior Lucy Kinser helped finish Alma off with consecutive aces. Mitchell, who accounted for 27 points in the scoring column, tallied block seven following Kinser's aces. Mitchell then moved the Scots to match point with kill 20 of the day.

Muzilla's efforts at the service line helped Wooster storm back in the fourth set. The first-year's consecutive aces tied the set at 10, and Mitchell's ace staked Wooster to a 15-13 lead. Later, three straight Turner aces padded Wooster's advantage to 23-17 before Mitchell finished up front with kill four of the set.

Sophomore Jordan Laraway was the Scot leading the charge at the service line of the Alma match's onset. Laraway dropped in four aces in a five-point stretch of the opening frame. Those were part of Wooster's impressive 11-0 run, which jumped the Scots out in front 17-7. An Alma service error sent Kinser to the service line, and kills from Mitchell and junior Izzy Cozzie finished off a 15-1 Wooster stretch.

Wooster's 17 aces against Alma rank three shy of the program's single-match record. Turner's five aces were followed by four each from Laraway and Muzilla. Kinser and Mitchell combined for the other aces.

First-year Mary-Catherine Werth and Turner supported Mitchell's 20 kills with 10 each. Sophomore Emma Fleck distributed 47 assists in the Alma win. Kinser was the leader of the defense with 26 digs, while Turner had a double-double with 14 digs.

Nevea Bush led Alma with 13 kills and six digs.

Cozzie knocked down Lila Stonehouse's attack late in the second set of the Grove City (3-3) match to pull Wooster within 21-15. A Fleck attack hit the court for a Wooster kill to again close the deficit within six, and later, Cozzie's kill from Fleck made it 23-17. Wooster pulled within four late, thanks to two Grove City attack errors.

Turner was Wooster's steady contributor up front in the Grove City match with a match-best 11 kills. Turner logged six of those in the third set. Cozzie followed with six kills, while sophomore Natalie Hohman had high honors in digs at nine.

Julia Fisher recorded 12 digs for Grove City, which saw 10 different players have a kill in the match.

Wooster's week started with a 28-26, 22-25, 11-25, 29-27, 15-6 win over Kent State University Tuscarawas on Wednesday. Kent State Tuscarawas is still in the process of compiling NCAA-required statistics from Wednesday's win as of Friday's posting.

Next, Wooster hosts the program's Ginny Hunt Kilt Classic, September 13-14. Wooster's three matches at the event starts with a 2:30 p.m. Friday contest against University of Pittsburg at Greensburg (1-4).