HAMMOND, Ind. – The Ohio Dominican volleyball team opened its weekend at the Midwest Region Crossover Tournament with two Friday matchups, taking on Quincy University and Michigan Tech.
(W, Quincy, 3-0)
In their first contest of the day, the Panthers extended their win streak with another sweep, defeating the (13-5) Quincy Hawks from the GLVC conference. ODU claimed the victory in straight sets — 25-19, 25-22, and 26-24 — out-performing Quincy in nearly every statistical category, except digs, where both teams tallied 53. The Panthers hit an impressive .229 on the match, highlighted by a blazing .364 in the opening set to set the tone early.
Freshman Logan Rubel led the offense with 11 kills, while senior Jenna Peters added nine kills and 12 digs. Grace Zinchuk was a force in the middle, finishing with eight kills and a team-high four blocks. Setter Gabrielle Kirker dished out 17 assists to go along with eight digs and an ace, and libero Lauren Dinunzi anchored the defense with 13 digs and two assists.
The Panthers came out firing in set one, using balanced attacks from Ashley Aselage and Peters to take a 15-10 lead. Quincy responded with a late five-point rally to close within 23-18, but ODU held strong to secure the 25-19 win.
Set two featured a tight exchange early, with the teams knotted at 10-10 before ODU strung together a four-point run to reclaim momentum. The Panthers maintained control down the stretch, closing out the set 25-22.
In the third and final set, Quincy battled to stay alive, jumping ahead 10-2. But the Panthers rallied behind kills from Rubel and Saige Avery, storming back to take a 16-14 lead. After a back-and-forth finish, ODU called a late timeout trailing 23-21, then regrouped to win in extra points, 26-24 — marking their seventh straight victory.
(W, Michigan Tech, 3-2)
Ohio Dominican's second game in Hammond was another victory — this time a 3-2 win over the Michigan Tech Huskies — marking the Panthers' eighth straight win.
Grace Zinchuk once again led the way for ODU, topping two categories with 19 kills and five blocks at the net. Jenna Peters joined the 1,000-kill club in the fifth set, finishing with 15 on the night. Christen Tarter served up five aces, while Gabrielle Kirker added three aces and 23 assists. Setter Saige Avery paced the team with 29 assists, recording a double-double with 12 digs and an ace.
The Panthers took the first set after an early 7-7 deadlock, pulling ahead with a late three-point rally sparked by strong attacks from Peters and Rubel to win it comfortably. The Huskies responded in the second, keeping pace with ODU up to 20-20 before closing out a tight 25-23 win.
The third set proved pivotal. Behind solid series from Zinchuk and Rubel, ODU jumped ahead 17-13, but Michigan Tech stormed back with a six-point rally to tie it at 24-24. A Husky service error followed by a Peters kill sealed the set for the Panthers, 26-24.
Much like the second, the Huskies claimed the fourth set after battling to an 18-18 tie, forcing a decisive fifth. The Panthers dominated the final frame, cruising to a 15-7 win behind a five-point service run from Kirker. The victory marked ODU's eighth consecutive win, with seeding and their next opponent still to be determined for tomorrow.
