Bluffton, Ohio – Registering a strong offensive effort, the Oberlin College volleyball team battled Bluffton to four sets on Tuesday night.
A trio of Obies recorded double-digit kills as
Kira Geiger paced Oberlin with a team-high 14 kills and
Mara Geiger and
Brylie Peters finished with 13 and 12, respectively.
Mimi Spangler aided the offense with a career-best 39 assists while the trio of Peters, Spangler, and
Mary Ellen Lovelace recorded 14, 13, and 12 digs, respectively. K. Geiger also led the Crimson and Gold with four aces and four blocks.
Kate Budde opened the night for Oberlin with a kill after a set from Lovelace before Bluffton posted five straight points to gain the early lead. The Beavers were able to slowly pull away after building on from their 7-1 stretch. Despite that, Oberlin's seven remaining were orchestrated from a strong offensive effort as they produced 12 kills from just 26 swings for a team-high hitting percentage of .385.
The Crimson and Gold pushed to start an early lead in the second frame with kills from Peter, M. Geiger, and K. Geiger. Tied 4-4, Bluffton recorded six straight points to maintain an early edge. Oberlin found opportunities to disrupt the home team's momentum, but ran out of time to catch up as the Beavers claimed the second set.
Though Bluffton secured the first point in the third set, the Crimson and Gold carried their offensive strength from the opening set to gain some momentum. Back-to-back kills from
Nickiah Walker continued Oberlin's attacking rhythm ahead of a four-point rally. Continuing to connect with a strong attack, the Crimson and Gold's final seven points came from a kill.
Trailing 4-3 in the fourth set, Oberlin delivered a five-point rally, highlighted by a trio of aces from K. Geiger. Despite that, Bluffton recorded six of the next seven points to reclaim the advantage. Tied 15-15, the Beavers coordinated a 9-1 effort pull ahead. A kill from M. Geiger aimed to disrupt the Bluffton momentum, but a final kill sealed the four-set victory for the Beavers.
The Crimson and Gold return to action on Saturday, October 10 when they travel to Wittenberg. First serve is scheduled for 1 p.m.
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