COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio Dominican volleyball team closed the non-conference portion of its 2019 schedule Friday evening, falling at home to Notre Dame (Ohio) in three sets.

The Panthers (3-25) conceded matching scores of 25-16 in the first and second sets before suffering a 25-17 loss in the third game. Notre Dame held a .294-.096 hitting advantage in the match, with the Falcons (21-10) also enjoying a 6-2 edge in team blocks.

Sophomore Abbi Gillson (Canton, Ohio) paced the Panther offensive attack with 10 kills, as she posted a hitting percentage of .318. Gillson now has six appearances this season with double-digit kills and has hit over .300 five times. Freshman Emilee Fecht (Hilliard, Ohio) added 8.5 points on eight kills and one assisted block.

Defensively, three players for ODU recorded at least nine digs, led by senior Allie Rutter (Fostoria, Ohio) with 13. Sophomore Amanda Remmetter (Springfield, Ohio) added 12 digs and classmate Emily Amore (Newark, Ohio) pitched in with nine.

The Falcons opened the match by hitting .407 in the first set, logging 12 kills and just one hitting error over 27 attacks. Despite the strong offensive effort from NDC, the Panthers rallied for six ties in the set and even led 11-10 after a Gillson kill. Notre Dame though, closed the game on an 11-3 scoring spurt to win 25-16.

The Black & Gold fell victim to a sideout percentage of .400 in the second set. The Falcons used a 13-1 run to take control of the set, a scoring spurt that saw them record four of their five service aces in the frame. The fifth closed the game at 25-16.

In the final set, the two sides posted six ties and five lead changes. However, NDC used another lengthy, 9-2 scoring run, to push its advantage to 18-11. The Panthers could only pull within six points down the stretch in a 25-17 decision.

Ohio Dominican will return to action with the first of two home matches during the final week of the regular season on Friday, Nov. 15. The Panthers and Kentucky Wesleyan are set for a 7 p.m. first serve on Friday.

Contact: Tyler Jester

jestert@ohiodominican.edu