COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ohio Dominican's volleyball team stifled Northwood as the Panthers scored a 3-1 (30-28, 23-25, 25-18, 25-19) victory over the Timberwolves in GLIAC action from Alumni Hall Friday night.

In a match that featured 34 ties and 22 lead changes, the Panthers (7-7, 5-3 GLIAC) held Northwood (5-7, 2-6 GLIAC) to an attack percentage of .108. ODU had 12 total team blocks and finished with 71 digs. Northwood entered the match hitting .172 on the year.

The victory was the first by ODU over Northwood since the Panthers joined the GLIAC in 2010.

Three Panthers reached double digits in kills, led by senior Caitlin Kusan (Westerville, Ohio) with 14 kills (.387 attack percentage). Classmate Lauren Kraemer (Kettering, Ohio) had 12 kills and sophomore Jackie Oestreich (Brighton, Mich.) added 10 kills.

Oestreich had six total blocks, while sophomore Taylor Foster (Ida, Mich.) had five blocks. Kraemer and Kusan each chipped in with four, while senior Lauren Rindler (Rossburg, Ohio) led the Panthers with 22 digs. Junior Kelsey Fortney (Lorain, Ohio) finished with 28 assists, junior Tory Thompson (Quincy, Ohio) had 15 digs, and freshman Ashlin Aiken (Onsted, Mich.) notched a double-double with 13 assists and 11 digs.

The tone for the match was set in the opening frame, a wild affair that saw 14 ties and eight lead changes. The Panthers jumped to a 6-1 lead, forcing a Northwood timeout, but the Timberwolves climbed back to go in front 13-11.

Neither side led by more than two points down the stretch, though the Panthers had set point at 24-22 and could not close out Northwood. The Timberwolves served for the set at 26-25 after a 4-1 run, but a hitting error and block by Kusan and Foster put the Panthers back in front 27-26.

Northwood scored the next two points to serve for the set again, but had a service error that tied the score at 28-28. Kraemer then put down consecutive balls to give the Panthers a 30-28 victory.

The second set was just as close, with 11 ties and seven lead changes. ODU had several four point leads, including 14-10, but again Northwood recovered and took a 20-19 lead. The Panthers jumped back in front 23-22 on an Oestreich kill, but two kills and an ace by Northwood gave them the set.

ODU's offense came to life in the third and fourth sets. The Panthers had 14 kills and hit .250 in the third frame, as Kusan had five kills to pace the attack. Up 20-18, the Panthers scored the set's final five points, as freshman Ciara Ralston (Findlay, Ohio), Kusan and Kraemer had kills to make it 23-18, and after a Northwood error, Kusan and Kraemer teamed up on a block to close the set.

ODU played even better in the fourth set, tallying 16 kills while hitting .342. The Panthers led by three or more points for the second half of the set and closed out the match with two Thompson kills to record the win.

Ohio Dominican remains at home for a 2 p.m. match Saturday against Lake Superior State.

Contact: Scott Miles
miless@ohiodominican.edu