Pepper Pike, OH--The Ursuline College volleyball team battled throughout a four-set Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) matchup against Tiffin on Saturday but ultimately fell 3-1.
The Arrows (2-20, 0-10 G-MAC) dropped the match by set scores of 12-25, 23-25, 25-14 and 24-26.
Tiffin established control early in the opening set, building a 9-5 lead before using a 13-3 run to extend its advantage to 22-9. The Dragons maintained their momentum to take the first set, 25-12.
The second set proved more competitive. Tiffin opened with an 11-6 advantage, but Ursuline battled back to cut the deficit to one at 16-15. The Dragons responded with an 8-3 run to reach set point at 24-18. The Arrows refused to back down, scoring five consecutive points to pull within one before Tiffin closed out the set, 25-23.
Ursuline answered emphatically in the third set. After holding a narrow 7-6 lead, the Arrows strung together nine consecutive points to build a commanding 16-7 advantage. They maintained control down the stretch, finishing the set with a 25-14 victory to force a fourth set.
The fourth set featured back-and-forth action as both teams looked to gain the upper hand. Tiffin used a five-point run to take a 17-12 lead, but Ursuline responded with a 10-3 stretch to move ahead 22-20. The Arrows extended their advantage to 24-22 and stood one point away from forcing a decisive fifth set. However, the Dragons rallied with four straight points to claim the set, 26-24, and secure the match.
Ursuline finished with a 53-49 advantage in kills and a .263-.252 edge in hitting percentage. Both teams recorded 17 attack errors, while the Arrows also held a 10-7 advantage in blocks. Tiffin led in service aces, 9-5, and digs, 59-53. Ursuline finished with a 48-43 edge in assists.
Kimora Hansbrough paced the Arrows with 15 kills, while Ellie Zoeckler added 10 and Nizhoni Clement contributed nine.
At the net, Madison Morris recorded five block assists. Clement added three block assists and one solo block.
Annie Quinlan led the offense with 21 assists, followed by Sophia Serrano with 17. Defensively, Mya Jackson recorded 13 digs, while Zoeckler posted a double-double with 10 kills and 11 digs. Alivia Martin added 10 digs.
Up next: Ursuline travels to Salem, W.Va., next Friday to face Salem University in nonconference action. First serve is scheduled for 6 p.m.
