COLUMBUS, OH – The Ohio Dominican volleyball team continued its hot streak with two big wins inside Alumni Hall, taking down G-MAC South Division leader Cedarville (12-2) in a thrilling five-set match and following it up with a four-set victory over Wheeling University (8-8).
Win vs. Cedarville (3-2)
ODU edged out a five-set battle against the Yellow Jackets, improving to 7-1 in G-MAC play. Middle hitter Grace Zinchuk led the way with a dominant performance at the net, tallying 19 kills and a match-high 7 blocks. Senior Ashley Aselage added 14 kills, while Jenna Peters contributed a well-rounded double-double with 12 kills, 20 digs, 3 blocks, and an ace.
Defensively, Christen Tarter anchored the back row with 23 digs, closely followed by Lauren Dinunzi with 22 digs and 2 aces. Setters Saige Avery and Gabrielle Kirker combined for 50 assists (Avery with 30, Kirker with 20).
ODU posted a .216 hitting percentage, peaking at .256 in the fourth set.
Set Breakdown:
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Set 1: The opening set showcased Cedarville's strong net presence early, as the Yellow Jackets quickly jumped out to a 16-11 lead behind a series of aggressive kills and disciplined blocking. Despite the early deficit, Ohio Dominican responded with a three-point rally led by strong serving from Gabrielle Kirker and a timely block by Grace Zinchuk. The Panthers managed to narrow the gap to 23-22 after back-to-back kills from Jenna Peters, but Cedarville closed the door with a kill and a block to seal the set, 25-22.
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Set 2: ODU came out more composed in the second set. Ashley Aselage and Jenna Peters found their rhythm, trading kills and forcing Cedarville out of system early on. Zinchuk's thunderous middle attack helped the Panthers take a 16-13 lead midway through. However, Cedarville stormed back behind tough serving and tied it at 22-22. In a tense stretch of extra points, both teams exchanged side-outs, but ODU held firm. With the score at 25-24, Ava Horn rose up for a clutch kill down the line, giving the Panthers the set and tying the match at 1-1.
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Set 3: Set three featured back-and-forth action early, with neither team gaining more than a two-point edge through the first half. At 9-9, the Panthers sparked a run behind three consecutive kills from Aselage, Peters, and Zinchuk to go up 12-9. Strong back-row defense from Christen Tarter and Lauren Dinunzi helped ODU control the pace, and Kirker's pinpoint sets kept the offense flowing. Up 21-18, the Panthers closed out the set with solid execution, capped by a Zinchuk kill for the 25-20 win.
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Set 4: Cedarville responded in a must-win fourth set, taking advantage of ODU's unforced errors and inconsistent serving. The Panthers held a narrow 17-15 lead, but a late surge by the Yellow Jackets turned the tide. Cedarville went on a 5-2 run to grab a 20-19 advantage and capitalized on two Panther attack errors to finish off the set, 25-22, forcing a decisive fifth.
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Set 5: With the match on the line, both teams came out firing in the final frame. Cedarville held a slim 11-10 lead, but the Panthers flipped the script with back-to-back kills from Aselage to steal momentum. After a tense rally, Cedarville committed a costly service error, setting up match point. With the crowd on its feet, Gabrielle Kirker stepped to the line and delivered a perfect service ace to clinch the set and the match, giving ODU a hard-fought 3-2 victory.
Win vs. Wheeling (3-1)
The Panthers carried momentum into their second match of the day, defeating Wheeling in four sets.
Jenna Peters recorded her second double-double of the day, finishing with 20 kills, 12 digs, 3 blocks, and an ace. Aselage added 9 kills and 2 blocks, while Zinchuk had 8 kills and led the team with 4 blocks.
Setters Avery and Kirker were once again strong, distributing 25 and 24 assists respectively. Dinunzi led all defenders with 22 digs and 3 service aces.
ODU hit at a solid .230 clip for the match, peaking at .273 in the third set.
Set Breakdown:
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Set 4: Despite a 7-1 start, ODU saw Wheeling close the gap to 17-16. Two late Cardinal errors helped ODU regain momentum, and Peters delivered the final point with a kill to close out the match 25-22.
What's Next
With the two wins, Ohio Dominican extends its winning streak to six heading into the Midwest Region Crossover in Hammond, Indiana, beginning Friday, October 17. Matchups and seedings will be announced soon.
