Oberlin, Ohio – The Oberlin College volleyball team suffered a four-set defeat to the visiting Kenyon College Ladies in front of a large homecoming crowd on Friday night at Philips Gym.
 
Prior to the match, the Yeowomen honored seniors Julia Ingoglia, Sara Chang, and Emily Kelkar along with junior Lexi Mitchell as she too is departing the program after this season as a 3-2 engineering major.
 
The sentiments maybe were played into a slow start for the Yeowomen as they dropped the first set 25-13. Oberlin would win the second set 25-20 before falling 26-24 and 25-20 in games three and four.
 
Mitchell went over 20 kills for the second straight match, finishing with 21 send-downs on 49 swings with just six errors as she hit an impressive .306. The Fort Mill, South Carolina, native added five aces and 13 digs in the setback. Chang, who had 26 assists, matched Jaya Flynn-Young with nine kills.
 
Samantha Lam split the setting duties with Chang and dished out 18 helpers to go along with 15 digs.
 
After a rocky start in the opening set, the Yeowomen were trailing early in the second set but would even the game at 12 on an ace by Maura Gibbs. Oberlin would open up a 19-15 advantage, but the Ladies wouldn't go away quietly as they got within 20-19. However, the Yeowomen would score four of the next five points, which included a clinching ace from Gibbs.
 
Oberlin had a prime chance to take a 2-1 match advantage with a 15-9 lead in hand midway through the third set. However, the Ladies came storming back to steal away the game and the  momentum. Kenyon methodically worked its way back into the match and ultimately drew even at 21-21. Oberlin would take the next two points, but the Ladies would tie it at 23 and 24 before kills by MacKenzie Bruzzio and Delaney Swanson finished off the comeback.
 
Hoping for a fourth-set victory to extend the match, the Yeowomen rallied to square the match at 16, but a 3-0 Ladies burst created some separation and they would lead by no less than two points the rest of the way.
 
The Ladies hit .297 in the match with 53 kills on 138 attacks with 12 errors. The Yeowomen posted a .160 clip with 52 kills on 162 attempts but were hindered by 26 errors. Oberlin had a 10-5 edge in aces, but the Ladies won the battle at the net with seven total blocks compared to Oberlin's three.
 
The loss dropped the Yeowomen back to 4-11 overall and 0-4 in the NCAC. Kenyon improved to 12-5 and 2-0 in league play.  
 
Oberlin is back in action on Wednesday night at Hiram College. The first serve is set for 7 p.m.