COLUMBUS, Ohio – Senior Rachel Billing (Anna, Ohio) had a match-high 15 kills and classmate Stacy Rogg (Cincinnati, Ohio) had 21 digs, but ODU's two seniors weren't enough to knock off Saginaw Valley as the volleyball team fell 3-1 (25-20, 22-25, 21-25, 16-25) Sunday in Alumni Hall.

It was the home finale and Senior Day for the Panthers, who dropped to 11-15 (4-12 GLIAC), while the Cardinals – the second-place team in the GLIAC North Division – improved to 15-8 (13-3 GLIAC).

Billing hit .205 to lead the ODU offensive attack and also registered 14 digs, while Rogg helped hold Saginaw to a .215 attack percentage in the duo's final contest in Alumni Hall.

ODU led wire-to-wire in the opening set, as a 6-1 surge helped the Panthers to a 16-11 lead. Billing had a kill and combined with Emily Post (St. Henry, Ohio) on a block to help ODU to the five-point lead. The Cardinals scored three straight, but ODU ripped off four straight on a trio of SVSU errors and a Billing kill to grab a 20-14 lead. The Cardinals came back again, drawing within a point at 21-20, but Caitlin Kusan (Westerville, Ohio) recorded an ace and Tara Winner (Versailles, Ohio) had two kills to close out the set for ODU.

The second set was all Cardinals, as SVSU built a 20-9 lead, though the Panthers would draw as near as 24-22 as Winner and Kusan had kills to bring ODU back. One last Cardinal kill, though, was enough to close the set, as ODU fell despite limiting Saginaw to an .025 hitting percentage in the frame.

Saginaw again raced to a big lead in the third set, going front 15-8, and though the Panthers would draw as near as three points on a pair of occasions, could come no closer in the set.

The fourth set featured three ties and a pait of lead changes early, but with the action tied at eight, SVSU scored five straight points. A kill by Billing made it 16-14, but that was as close as the Panthers could get.

ODU hit just .135 in the match, as no other player cracked double figures in kills. Kelsey Snyder (Macomb, Mich.) had a double-double with 16 assists and 10 digs and Meredith Shifley (Galion, Ohio) had 21 assists to pace the Panthers.

Ohio Dominican hits the road for a 7 p.m. match at Tiffin on Wednesday.

Contact: Scott Miles
miless@ohiodominican.edu