Jackets sweep midweek matchup on the road at Lourdes

SYLVANIA, Ohio – Defiance College volleyball opened the month of October with a straight-set triumph over the Lourdes Gray Wolves Ebeid Rec Center on Wednesday. 

The win for the Yellow Jackets (8-13, 2-6 WHAC) snapped a six-match losing streak that included four conference battles. Defiance also picked up a crucial conference win over the Gray Wolves (4-13, 1-7 WHAC), who entered the night tied in the league standings.

Defiance had one of their best hitting performances of the season, ending with a .308 hitting percentage and good enough for the team's second-best contest of the year in that category. All three sets turned out to be competitive. Defiance picked up the first set thanks to a six-point streak in the closing stages. Neither team could break away in the second set, which featured 11 ties, until Jamia Murray recorded a pair of kills to get DC to 20 first. That was followed by a Lourdes error and a Chaney Brodbeck spike to make the score 22-19 as Defiance rode that out to win the set. 

THE TURNING POINT
Leading 2-0 entering the third set, Defiance exerted their will early in the set with a 9-3 run. Brodbeck and Jaelyn Tomoletz each slammed a pair of kills to start the scoring and it continued until a service ace by Kaylee Dickinson put DC in front by six. After a brief back-and-forth, Defiance opened it back up to six to 16-10 and again to 20-14 to give the team plenty of breathing room to close out the match.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• Along with the high hitting percentage, Defiance registered 50 kills sixth time this season and the first time in a three-set match this year.
• The victory is the Yellow Jackets' fifth match in which they've swept their opponent in three sets.
• DC had a healthy volume of kills in the second set, recording 19 of 25 points on the attack. 
• The Jackets also closed the match on a high note, hitting .400 in the third with just one attacking error. 
• Chaney Brodbeck led the team with 13 kills and also added 10 digs. She had just one mishit and finished with a .429 percentage.
• Jamia Murray had another strong match with double figures in kills (11) and digs (13). She also closed the match on fire, logging four kills over the team's last 11 points.
• Jaelyn Tomoletz notched nine kills in the match with two more block assists. She was efficient in the attack game with a .438 hitting percentage.
• Gabby Rodriguez connected on seven kills.
• In the setting game, Amina Chamoun dished out 18 assists and Kylie Anderson served up 15.

UP NEXT
The Yellow Jackets are back at home Friday with a doubleheader against St. Mary-of-the-Woods. First serve at the Karl H. Weaner Center is scheduled for 4 p.m. with the second match to begin at 7 p.m.

-JACKETS-