COLUMBUS, Ohio – Junior outside hitter Rachel Billing (Anna, Ohio) surpassed the 1,000 career kill mark, but Ohio Dominican's volleyball team lost a tight 3-1 match against GLIAC South Division foe Findlay Friday night in Alumni Hall.

The Panthers took the first set by a count of 27-25, but dropped the next three (22-25, 22-25, 25-27) to fall to 1-3 on the season (0-3 GLIAC). The Oilers improved to 6-2 overall, 3-0 in the conference.

Billing (pictured) finished with 15 kills and now has 1,013 for her career. She had a dynamic start to the match, recording eight kills on 11 attempts with just one error in the first set as ODU staved off two set points to win, 27-25. Trailing 24-22, a kill by freshman Tara Winner (Versailles, Ohio) and a block from sophomore Shannon Nadler (Leipsic, Ohio) and freshman Ashley Sprau (Delaware, Ohio) evened the score at 24. After a Findlay kill, Winner responded with another kill, and an Oiler hitting error gave ODU the lead at 26-25. Winner ended it with her fourth kill of the set to give ODU the match lead.

However, the Panther offense struggled after the first set, hitting below .100 in each of the next three sets. In the second set, a kill by Summer Hale (Galena, Ohio) put ODU in front 11-10, but that would be ODU's final lead of the set as the Oilers pulled away for the three-point win.

In the third set, Ohio Dominican rallied from a 19-16 deficit to even the score at 19 on kills from Winner and Nadler and a solo block by Nadler. An ace by senior Cassie Vome (Cincinnati, Ohio) put ODU in front, 20-19, but the Oilers responded by closing the set on a 5-2 run to take a 2-1 lead.

The Panthers faltered early in the fourth set as Findlay scored five of the first six points and was in control throughout the beginning of the set, building a 19-12 lead. With the score 21-15, ODU battled back with six consecutive points, with kills from Hale and freshman Emily Post (St. Henry, Ohio) sparking the run and a block by the same duo contributing as well. The Panthers broke through for a 24-23 lead on Hale's kill and served for the set, but could not hold on as Findlay scored four of the final five points to close the match.

Hale had another solid all-around performance as she recorded her second triple-double of the season, finishing with 12 kills, a match-high 30 assists and 13 digs. Sprau led all players with 16 kills, and Billing had a match-high 27 digs to go along with her 15 kills.

Ohio Dominican continues its five-match homestand at 5 p.m. Saturday in Alumni Hall when the Panthers welcome in Hillsdale (Mich.) College.

Contact: Scott Miles
miless@ohiodominican.edu