Sandusky, Ohio - The Oberlin College volleyball team wrapped up their weekend at the Great Lakes Crossover with a pair of matches on Saturday morning. The Crimson and Gold fell to the Kalamazoo College Hornets (25-19, 25-21, 25-19) before dropping a 3-0 (25-16, 25-11, 25-20) match to the Washington & Jefferson College Presidents.
"Going 0-4 is not ideal for this weekend, but we found a lot of learning and winning moments in every match," Head Coach
Jasmine Brown adds. "We're working towards making those winning moments more consistent. Overall we're proud of the energy and fight we had against each team."
GAME 1 | Kalamazoo
The duo of senior Josie Macdonald and first-year Mara Geiger took charge of the Oberlin offense, delivering nine kills apiece, while rookie Brylie Peters recorded eight kills.
Senior Jillian Jendsen returned to the court as the primary setter, registering 21 assists, while Iris Archibald controlled the Crimson and Gold defense with 13 digs.
Holding a narrow edge at 5-4 in the first frame, Kalamazoo produced a nine-point run to increase the gap to 14-4. Oberlin responded with an 8-1 surge highlighted by a trio of kills from Geiger to reduce the margin to 15-12. The teams exchanged points for the remainder of the set, with a Hornets kill securing the set victory for Kalamazoo.
Behind 11-10 in the second session, the Hornets reclaimed the lead by recording a 7-1 rally to bring the score to 17-12. Trailing 24-20 at match point, Jendsen sent a pass to Peters to dish out a kill, but an Oberlin service error ended the set.
In the third set, the Crimson and Gold were able to pull ahead of Kalamazoo to claim a slight 11-10 lead, but a five-point Hornet run shifted the advantage to 15-11. Oberlin was able to disrupt their momentum with a Kalamazoo service error followed by a Peters kill and Geiger ace, but a second five-point surge increased the Hornet edge to 20-14. The Crimson and Gold continued to persevere, but Kalamazoo was able to close out the set, claiming the 3-0 sweep.
GAME 2 | Washington & Jefferson
The Presidents opened the match jumping out to an early 11-4 lead, but the Crimson and Gold were not ready to be counted out. Ahead 17-11, Washington & Jefferson produced a six-point run to increase the margin to 23-11. Oberlin registered five of the six following points, capped off with a kill by Geiger, but a final kill from Washington & Jefferson finished the first set.
The Crimson and Gold were unable to disrupt the strong Washington & Jefferson offense in the second frame, allowing the Presidents to nab the 25-11 victory. Oberlin was able to regain their footing during the third session, delivering three ties before the 10-10 tie. A five-point rally notched the edge for Washington & Jefferson, which they were able to maintain for the remainder of the set to secure the sweep.
Peters led the Crimson and Gold offense with nine kills on 28 swings while Jendsen finished the match with ten assists. Playing a key role on the defensive side, Iris Archibald recorded 12 digs while sophomore Genna Gauthier and Geiger posted nine each.
Oberlin will host its own two-day invitational next weekend, with its opening match slated for 6 p.m. on Friday, September 5, against Grove City College.
Keep up with the Crimson and Gold on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok, and watch every home game on the Oberlin Sports Network online or on Roku, Apple TV, or Amazon Fire TV.
