COLUMBUS, Ohio – Down two sets to none, Ohio Dominican's volleyball team completed one of the biggest comebacks in recent history, rallying to score a 3-2 (13-25, 24-26, 25-23, 25-17, 15-12) victory over Hillsdale in GLIAC play Friday night at Alumni Hall.

The Panthers (10-11, 8-4 GLIAC) trailed 12-9 in the fifth set, only to score the final six points of the match to earn the victory, the first over Hillsdale (8-11, 6-6 GLIAC) since ODU joined the GLIAC in 2010. This is the third time since 2011 the two teams have locked up in a five set match.

Senior Brianna Reder (Maineville, Ohio) had a team-best 14 kills while hitting .355 and sophomore Jackie Oestreich (Brighton, Mich.) recorded nine kills with a career-best 13 blocks. Senior Lauren Kraemer (Kettering, Ohio) had 12 kills and junior Tory Thompson (Quincy, Ohio) also had nine kills.

After dropping the first two frames, ODU opened a 7-2 lead in the third set, and the lead grew to 16-9 on a block by Thompson and Oestreich and a tip kill by Oestreich. Hillsdale cut it to three at 20-17, then tied it at 21-21. Kills by Oestreich gave the Panthers a 23-22 lead, and Oestreich teamed with freshman Ciara Ralston (Findlay, Ohio) on a block to make it 24-22, and a Hillsdale setting error gave the Panthers the set at 25-23.

A kill by Thompson from the back row and another by Kusan gave ODU a 16-13 lead in the fourth set. The lead grew to 21-15 after an ace by Kusan and back-to-back Thompson terminations, and the Panthers continued to pull away for the 25-17 win in the frame.

Hillsdale scored four of the first five points in the decisive fifth set, but ODU rallied. Kusan and Reder's block tied it at 4-4, and later, a kill by Ralston and a Charger error made it 7-5 in favor of ODU.

Hillsdale tied it at 8-8, then took an 11-9 lead on consecutive kills. Another kill then stretched the lead to 12-9. Oestreich and Kraemer combined on a block and Reder had a kill to make it 12-11, and another block by Oestreich and Reder tied it at 12-12.

Thompson then had consecutive kills, and she and Oestreich combined on one last block to end the match.

Junior Kelsey Fortney (Lorain, Ohio) had 24 assists and 11 digs, and freshman Ashlin Aiken (Onsted, Mich.) had 23 assists and 12 digs. Ralston had a career-best 26 digs, Thompson added 18 and senior Lauren Rindler (Rossburg, Ohio) added 24 digs.

Hillsdale started the first set on a 10-1 run and didn't look back from there, taking the first set 25-13. The Chargers hit .306 in the set, while ODU managed just eight kills.

The second set was nip and tuck throughout, with 10 ties and five lead changes. The Panthers took a 22-20 lead on consecutive aces by Kusan, but Hillsdale answered with three straight points to go in front 23-22. A kill by Kraemer and a Hillsdale hitting error gave the Panthers set point at 24-23, but Hillsdale rallied with three straight kills to take the set 26-24.

Ohio Dominican closes its home schedule with a 2 p.m. match Saturday against Findlay. Prior to the match, ODU's five seniors will be recognized.

Contact: Scott Miles
miless@ohiodominican.edu