Oberlin, Ohio – The Oberlin College volleyball team hosted their home opener against Heidelberg on Tuesday evening, making their first appearance on the brand-new court in Philips Gymnasium. Taking the Student Princes to four sets, the Crimson and Gold fell 25-10, 29-27, 21-25, 25-13.
Leading the Oberlin offense,
Mara Geiger produced 13 kills while
Kira Geiger added 11.
Emily Spangler recorded 28 assists while
Mary Lovelace tallied 13 digs and
Brylie Peters finished with 10.
Heidelberg jumped out to an early 10-1 start and capitalized on their early momentum. Kills from Peters, K. Geiger, Spangler,
Makela Reid, and M. Geiger were able to chip away at the deficit, but the Crimson and Gold were unable to close the gap as the Student Princes secured the first set.
Oberlin found their rhythm to start the second frame, delivering a 7-1 push with kills from K. Geiger,
Nickiah Walker, and M. Geiger to pull ahead to 11-6. Heidelberg responded with six of the next seven points to tie the Crimson and Gold. The energy in Philips electrified as both teams continued to exchange the lead. Trailing 24-22, back-to-back kills from Reid kept Oberlin alive. Maintaining a 27-26 edge, the visitors were able to notch the final points they needed to claim the second set.
The Student Princes led the third session from the start until behind 10-7; a 7-1 surge allowed Oberlin to propel ahead, capped by an ace from
Genna Gauthier. Heidelberg was able to break up the Crimson and Gold's streak as Oberlin continued to extend their lead to 20-14. Though the visitors inched their way to a narrow 22-21 margin, the Crimson and Gold were able to clinch the third set with the remaining three points, initiated by a Walker kill.
Both teams remained close to start the fourth frame. Maintaining a slight advantage, Heidelberg posted seven unanswered points to extend their lead to 15-7. Oberlin pushed to force a fifth set, but the Student Princes were able to pull away and claim the four-set victory.
"I think our team displayed a lot of perseverance tonight, coming back to execute some strong plays and connect as a group," Head Coach
Jasmine Brown adds. "It will be great to continue to build our foundation with the new court, and we're looking forward to continuing to play with the home crowd energy."
The Crimson and Gold return to Philips on Wednesday, September 16, when they host Case Western Reserve. First serve is scheduled for 7 p.m.
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