BEREA, Ohio – The Baldwin Wallace University volleyball team won all four of its matches in straight sets enroot to being named as co-champion of the 19th Annual Marcia French Memorial Invitational co-hosted by BW and Case Western Reserve University
BW (8-0) and the University of Mount Union were named co-champions as both had perfect 4-0 overall records and unblemished 12-0 set records. The Yellow Jackets opened the invitational with a pair of wins on Friday night as it defeated North Carolina Wesleyan College by scores of 25-12, 25-20 and 25-9 then knocked off Buffalo State (N.Y.) University by scores of 25-21, 25-18 and 25-16. BW closed out the invitational by posting a pair of victories on Saturday against Hilbert (N.Y.) College by scores of 25-9, 25-11 and 25-7 and Eastern Mennonite (Va.) University by scores of 25-19 and 25-10 and 25-15.
Junior two-time first-team All-Ohio Athletic Conference outside hitter Alicia Lortcher (Norwalk) was named to her second straight all-tournament team and it marked the second-time in her career that she garnered the honor at the Marcia French Invitational.
Against North Carolina Wesleyan, Lortcher led the offense with 12 kills. Freshman utility player Alexis Garrett (Mentor) tallied a career-best seven kills. Freshman setter Kathleen Egan (Cleveland/Beaumont) set up the offense with a match-high 29 assists. Lortcher anchored the defense with a team-high 14 digs. Freshman libero Sarah Reinhard (Willoughby/South) contributed 13 digs.
In the match with Buffalo State, Lortcher led the offensive attack with 17 kills while freshman middle hitter Taylor Brown (Maple Heights) added a career-best seven kills. Egan ran the offense with 32 assists. Reinhard anchored the defense with 11 kills while Lortcher notched 10 digs.
Against Hilbert, sophomore outside hitter Allyson Smith (Macedonia/Walsh Jesuit) led the offense with nine kills. Four other Yellow Jacket hitters contributed three kills apiece. Freshman setter Sam Pruett (Bolivar/Tuscarawas Valley) set up the offense with a career-best 10 assists. Freshman Abby Cosart (Lima/Bath) added seven assists while Egan had six. Freshman libero Jasmine Hromada (Lorain/Elyria Catholic) anchored the defense with 14 digs.
In the match with Eastern Mennonite, Lortcher led a three-headed offensive attack as she recorded a match-best 15 kills while senior All-OAC right side hitter Ellen Hawkins (Worthington/Thomas Worthington) tallied a season-best 12 kills and Smith rounded out the double figure attack with 10 kills. Egan set up the offense with a match-best 26 assists. Hromada and Reinhard anchored a solid defense with 13 digs apiece.
The Yellow Jackets are back in action on Friday and Saturday, September 15-16 when they travel to Oneonta, New York to compete in the Hartwick (N.Y.) College Invitational inside the Lambros Arena. BW will face Plattsburg State (N.Y.) University and Nazareth (N.Y.) College in Friday contests at 6 and 8 p.m. BW closes out the invitational On Saturday with matches against Oneonta State (N.Y.) University and Lycoming (Pa.) College at 1 and 5 p.m.
The Yellow Jackets return home on Friday and Saturday, September 22 and 23 when it hosts the annual Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference and Ohio Athletic Conference Crossover. Friday's matches begin at 2 p.m. with Saturday's matches slated to start at 10 a.m.
