Lansing, MI – The Oberlin College volleyball team won a wild five-set affair over St. Mary's (Ind.) but didn't have enough left in the tank as they dropped their final match of the MIAA-NCAC Challenge to Kalamazoo College in straight sets.
 
The Yeowomen finished the weekend 1-2, dropping their overall mark down to 4-3 on the young season.
 
St. Mary's Recap
The Yeowomen and Belles were evenly matched as they traded points throughout the affair with Oberlin finishing on the right side of a 27-25, 25-23, 18-25, 22-25, 17-15 scoreline.
 
The Yeowomen finished the bout with a 10-4 advantage in aces and 9-4 edge in blocks, which ultimately proved to be the difference in the end.
 
Maura Gibbs led the attack with 20 kills, while Emery Beacom stuffed the stat sheet with 17 kills, two block solos, and four block assists. Rookie Iyanna Lewis added 12 kills on 24 swings.
 
Zoe Kuzbari guided the back row with 25 digs to go along with two aces – one shy of McLean Sammon's match-high three aces in the win.
 
Samantha Lam and Lindsey Felton split the passing duties with Lam dishing out 31 assists compared to Felton's 21 helpers.
 
Oberlin trailed 23-20 in the opening set but scored four of the next five points to tie it as back-to-back finishes from Gibbs evened the game at 24. It was later square at 25 but another Gibbs' kill was followed with a Belles' ball handling error.
 
The second set was more of the same as no more than four points separated the two foes throughout but it was Sammon's set-clinching kill that gave the Yeowomen the win.
 
The Belles would rally to take the next two frames, setting up a decisive winner-take-all fifth set. The spread was never greater than two points as the race to 15 was on but it wouldn't enough.
 
Oberlin faced match-point twice, trailing 14-13 and 15-14 but Kills by Beacom and Gibbs would even the count each time. In search of two consecutive points, a Belles' attack error was followed with a winning ace from Sammon.
 
Kalamazoo Recap
Unfortunately, the Yeowomen expended all of their energy in the win and didn't have much left in the tank for Hornets of Kalamazoo as the prevailed past the Yeowomen 25-12, 25-18, 25-12.
 
The Yeowomen hit just .057 in the match with 21 kills against 16 errors. Beacom led the Yeowomen with seven kills while Gibbs chipped in with four.
 
Lam had 13 assists while Felton finished with seven.
 
The Yeowomen return to action on Tuesday night at John Carroll. The first serve is set for 7 p.m.