CEDARVILLE, OH - After nine straight wins and a perfect weekend at the Midwest Region Crossover, the Ohio Dominican volleyball team returned to G-MAC play to face a then–13-5 Cedarville team — the one constant challenger for the top spot in the South Division all season. The Panthers fell to the Yellow Jackets in five sets inside the Callan Athletic Center last night, with a packed house of 1,030 attendees. The loss marked Ohio Dominican's second conference defeat and fifth overall.

Despite the setback, ODU outperformed the Yellow Jackets in several categories. The Panthers dominated at the service line with six aces to Cedarville's one and narrowly edged them in assists, 58 to 57. Both teams recorded 63 attacks, but Cedarville held a decisive advantage at the net, tallying 17 blocks compared to ODU's eight.

Seniors Jenna Peters and Grace Zinchuk led the way for the Black and Gold. Peters recorded another double-double with 13 kills, 15 digs, and an ace, while Zinchuk added 12 kills and led the team with five blocks. Ava Horn contributed 12 strong kills and three blocks, finishing with the team's highest attacking percentage at .391. She partnered with Ashley Aselage, who notched 11 kills and three blocks of her own. Libero Lauren Dinunzi anchored the defense with 18 digs and two aces, while Gabrielle Kirker dished out 30 assists.

Set Breakdown
Ohio Dominican took the first set after pulling ahead midway through with a three-point run at 12-8. Cedarville battled back, but ODU responded with a 7–1 run to extend the lead to 23-16 before closing out the set, 25-19.

The Yellow Jackets answered in the second set, grabbing a 19-14 lead. ODU fought back to within one at 21-20, but Cedarville sealed the set with three straight points to win 25-21.

Set three was controlled by Cedarville, who capitalized on ODU's attack errors and strong net play. The teams traded points late, but the Yellow Jackets pulled away with a 22-18 lead and closed it out, 25-20.

The fourth set showcased the Panthers' grit, going into extra points after a back-and-forth battle that saw ties at 8-8, 16-16, and 23-23. ODU secured the final two points — a Peters kill followed by a Cedarville attack error — to force a decisive fifth set.

However, Cedarville came out strong in the final frame, jumping to a 6-0 lead behind dominant blocking. ODU clawed back for a few points but couldn't overcome the deficit, falling 15-7. With the win, Cedarville evened the season series at 1-1 and reclaimed the top spot in the G-MAC South Division standings.

Next Up
Ohio Dominican now looks ahead to its next matchup, returning home to Alumni Hall to host the Ashland Eagles on Saturday at 12 p.m.