COLUMBUS, Ohio – Freshman Kelsey Snyder (Macomb, Mich.) had a season-high 40 assists and Ohio Dominican's volleyball team hit .273 as the Panthers defeated visiting Lake Erie 3-1 (25-17, 23-25, 25-21, 25-13) in GLIAC South Division action in Alumni Hall.

With the victory, ODU improved to 8-3 (3-3 GLIAC) and moved to 2-0 at home this fall. Lake Erie fell to 2-6 (1-5 GLIAC).

Senior Rachel Billing (Anna, Ohio) followed her 21 kill performance at Findlay on Sunday with 17 kills in 41 attacks, hitting .293 for the match. Sophomore Tara Winner (Versailles, Ohio) had 11 kills, while freshmen Bailey Barker (Muncie, Ind.) and Caitlin Kusan (Westerville, Ohio) both had eight terminations.

ODU used a 6-0 run in the opening set to build a 16-9 lead. Billing had an ace and Winner a kill to help fuel that run. ODU maintained a six to eight point lead the remainder of the set, limiting the Storm to an .086 hitting percentage while hitting .344 themselves.

The second set was a seesaw affair featuring 16 ties and six lead changes. Neither side led by more than three points, as ODU rallied from a 12-9 deficit early and took its first lead at 14-13 behind Winner's serving. The Panthers led 19-17 after a block from Snyder and sophomore Emily Post (St. Henry, Ohio), but the Storm scored the next three points to re-take a 20-19 lead. The Panthers tied the score at 21 on Winner's kill, but the Storm finished on a 4-2 run to take the set.

ODU jumped to a 6-3 lead in the third set, after the Storm tied the set at seven, ODU took a lead it would not relinquish. Leading 11-10, ODU scored six of the next eight points, finished by Kusan's kill to make it 17-12. The lead would grow to as many as eight points at 22-14 after Billing's kill, and Billing's kill closed the set.

The fourth set was tight early, but ODU broke it open with an 11-2 run to take a 15-6 lead. The Panthers would hit .387 in the set while Lake Erie hit just .029.

Billing registered a double-double with a team-high 15 digs to go along with her 17 kills, and Barker and senior libero Stacy Rogg (Cincinnati, Ohio) both finished with 13 digs. Post had four blocks to also lead the Panthers.

Ohio Dominican remains at home for a 2 p.m. match Saturday against Ashland.

Contact: Scott Miles
miless@ohiodominican.edu