COLUMBUS, Ohio – Trailing 2-1 to visiting Findlay, Ohio Dominican's volleyball team forced a fifth set but fell in a wild frame that featured seven ties and four lead changes as the Oilers took a 3-2 decision (20-25, 25-20, 14-25, 26-24, 17-19) in GLIAC action Saturday at Alumni Hall.

After tying the match in the fourth set, ODU found itself down 9-5 in the fifth. The Panthers drew even at 11 on a block on the right side by freshman Tory Thompson (Quincy, Ohio) and sophomore Caitlin Kusan (Westerville, Ohio), and an ace by senior Kristy Birkemeier (Columbus Grove, Ohio) gave ODU its first lead of the set at 12-11.

The Panthers served for the match at 14-13 but couldn't get the point, then fought off match points themselves at 15-14 and 16-15. A Birkemeier tip kill tied it at 16, and an Oiler hitting error gave the Panthers another chance to close it.

But Findlay answered with the final three points of the match to escape with the five set victory, as the Oilers improved to 10-14 (7-6 GLIAC) while the Panthers fell to 10-14 (4-9 GLIAC).

ODU had 58 kills to Findlay's 55, but hit just .144 as the Panthers were hurt by 34 attack errors and 11 Findlay aces.

Birkemeier, playing in her final match in Alumni Hall, led ODU with 14 kills, while Thompson finished with 13 and Kusan tallied 10. Freshman Lauren Kraemer (Kettering, Ohio) and sophomore Brianna Reder (Maineville, Ohio) both had eight.

Freshmen Darby Slavin (Columbus, Ohio) and Kelsey Fortney (Lorain, Ohio) helped key the offense with 26 and 21 assists, respectively, while sophomore Bailey Barker (Muncie, Ind.) led ODU with 17 digs.

After struggling in the first set, ODU jumped out quick in set two, grabbing a 16-9 lead after embarking on a 6-1 run. The lead would grow to as many as nine as the Panthers registered 15 kills and hit .314 in the frame.

Findlay controlled play in the third set, but the Panthers responded in the fourth. Consecutive kills by Kraemer and Tara Winner (Versailles, Ohio) gave ODU a 12-6 lead, and the Panthers would hold a 24-19 lead before a late surge by the Oilers knotted it at 24. ODU scored the last two points, though, on a kill by Barker and another by Reder to set up the fifth set dramatics.

Ohio Dominican continues GLIAC play at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Tiffin.

Contact: Scott Miles
miless@ohiodominican.edu