COLUMBUS, Ohio – Despite a match-high 14 kills from Kristy Birkemeier (Columbus Grove, Ohio), Ohio Dominican's volleyball team fell 3-0 (20-25, 23-25, 17-25) to visiting Findlay in a GLIAC South Division match Saturday evening in Alumni Hall.

ODU drops to .500 on the season with a record of 11-11 (4-8 GLIAC), while the Oilers improved to .500 (11-11, 5-9 GLIAC).

Birkemeier finished with a .300 attack percentage, and Rachel Billing (Anna, Ohio) also had nine kills to lead the Panthers. Findlay, though, hit .289 as a team to come away with the win.

The first set featured eight ties in the early-going, but with the set knotted at 11, Findlay scored six straight points to grab control of it. Birkemeier's kill brought the Panthers to within three at 21-18, but that would be as close as they would get.

Another big surge by the Oilers put Findlay in charge of the second frame, but the Panthers again bounced back. Trailing 18-11, ODU rattled off six of the next seven points, with Birkemeier registering three kills to bring the Panthers to within two at 19-17. UF answered, though, building a 24-19 lead, but kills by Birkemeier and Brianna Reder (Maineville, Ohio) and a block by Emily Post (St. Henry, Ohio) and Reder trimmed the deficit to 24-23. Findlay, though, closed the set with a kill to take a 2-0 lead in the match.

Findlay carried that momentum into the third set, scoring the first four points. The Panthers would draw as near as 7-5, but UF hit .333 for the set to just .161 for ODU and built its lead to as many as eight points to take the win.

Stacy Rogg (Cincinnati, Oho) tallied 13 digs and Caitlin Kusan (Westerville, Ohio) had four blocks to lead the ODU defense.

Ohio Dominican closes out its weekend with a 2 p.m. match Sunday against Hillsdale in Alumni Hall.

Contact: Scott Miles
miless@ohiodominican.edu