COLUMBUS, Ohio – For the first time this season the Ohio Dominican volleyball team returns to Sunbury Road to play three conference contests inside Alumni Hall. The Panthers will host Cedarville, Tiffin, and Findlay throughout this week.

In their G-MAC opening week, the Black and Gold went 1-1, taking both matches to five sets. On Friday, ODU rallied back from down 2-0 to defeat Trevecca Nazarene, 3-2. The next day, Ky. Wesleyan did the same, battling back from down 2-0 to beat Ohio Dominican 3-2.

About Ohio Dominican

Junior Lauren Lucas (Grove City, Ohio) snagged a career-high of 23 kills on Friday night. Lucas combined for 32 total kills this week, averaging 3.20 kills per set. Joining her in double-figure kills in Nashville was Jenna Peters (Vermilion, Ohio) with 14. Both recorded nine kills in Saturday's contest.

Ashley Aselage (Tipp City, Ohio) ended the weekend with 15 kills, collecting seven against the Trojans and eight against the Panthers. The sophomore also added six blocks. Fellow sophomore, Grace Zinchuk (Schaumburg, Ill.) led the way with 10 total blocks. The middle blocker recorded six in the first game and four in the second.

On the backline, senior Kelsey Shoup (Dalton, Ohio) netted 32 total digs. Shoup had 20 digs in Tennessee and 12 digs in Kentucky. Saige Avery (Yorkville, Ill.) followed with 18 digs. The setter added 32 assists. In front of her was Gabrielle Kirker (Tallmadge, Ohio) with 40 assists. Kirker added 13 digs and three service aces.

About Cedarville

The Yellow Jackets are 6-3 overall and 1-0 in conference play. CU defeated conference newcomer, Thomas More, on Friday evening, 3-0.

Freshman Madelyn Hensley leads the team and the conference in kills per set, averaging 3.79. Hensley has 110 total kills on the season. Sophomore setter, Kaley Matney, averages 6.53 assists per set. The Indiana native has a total of 222 assists this fall. Fellow sophomore, Cassi Shields, is second in the conference averaging 0.59 service aces per set.

Dating back to 2010, Cedarville holds a 13-3 record over the Black and Gold. The Yellow Jackets have won the last three meetings, 3-0, with ODU beating them in the first matchup in the 2021 season, 3-0.

About Tiffin

The Dragons hold an overall mark of 604 and are 101 in the G-MAC. TU we bested by Trevecca Nazarene, 3-1, on Saturday and beat Ky. Wesleyan, 3-2, on Sunday.

Leading the way for the conference is Kaylee Freund with 58 total blocks. Freund averages 1.45 blocks per set. Following her is Kenedi Goon in third place with 44 total blocks and an average of 1.10 blocks per set. Goon leads Tiffin with 97 kills, averaging 2.42 kills per set.

The Panthers are 11-10 against the Dragons within the Division II Era. The Black and Gold have won the last five contests between the two institutions.

About Findlay

The Oilers went 2-1 in conference play last week, bringing them to 8-2 overall. Findlay defeated Malone and Lake Erie, 3-0, but fell to Walsh, 3-0.

Freshman Kirsten Bomholt leads the team with 119 kills, averaging 3.61 kills per set, good enough for second place in the G-MAC. Emma White leads all setters with 11.36 assists per set. The sophomore has 375 total assists in the 2023 campaign thus far. On the backline, Ava Doster averages 2.85 digs per set.

Findlay is 15-3 against Ohio Dominican. The Panthers defeated the Oilers, 3-0, during the 2021 season, breaking up a 13 game win streak for UF. Findlay goes to Ashland on Friday before coming to Columbus on Saturday.

Game Time

On Tuesday evening, first serve is set for 6:00 PM against the Yellow Jackets. Three days later, the Dragons and the Panthers face off at 6:00 PM on Friday evening. ODU then wraps up the weekend with Findlay on Saturday with a 1:00 PM game, all coming from Alumni Hall.