LATROBE, Pa. – The Baldwin Wallace volleyball team traveled to La Roche College (Pa.) to play a double-header against Waynesburg University (Pa.) and host, La Roche, on Coach Scott Lang Court. BW did not struggle with Waynesburg as they swept the opposing Jackets in three sets. The Yellow Jackets did much of the same to La Roche as they handled the court enroute to another three sets to zero victory.
Waynesburg (Pa.) vs Baldwin Wallace
Waynesburg was the first on the scoreboard in set one but that lead did not last as BW retaliated with a five to nothing run to regain the lead. The Yellow Jackets did not look back from there as they did not allow Waynesburg within four points for the rest of set one. Freshman Ivy Earl (Howell) service ace put the Yellow Jackets up eight and gave BW the push they needed to close out the set, with a score of 25-12.
The second set started similarly to the first with Waynesburg jumping out to an early lead but once again, BW would not be deterred and established a 10-2 lead after that. One of those points came off a service ace from sophomore middle hitter Taylor Brown (Maple Heights), bringing the Yellow Jackets score to six. The defense for BW was like a brick wall as they amassed five blocks over the sets to Waynesburg's zero. The second set was closed out by a kill from Cecelia Stebel (Union / Northmont), assisted by Whitney Wallace (Salem / West Branch).
BW jumped out to another early, five to one lead in set three, after a service ace from sophomore Sarah Reinhard (Willoughby / South). Besides the Yellow Jackets blocks the defense was anchored with 44 digs making each and every point difficult. Senior setter Ashley Nuding (Perrysburg / Springfield) set up the offense with 15 assists. The Yellow Jackets outrageous .667 hitting percentage proved insurmountable as they closed out the third and final set with a score of 25-11.
Baldwin Wallace vs La Roche (Pa.)
The first set was neck and neck the whole way until host, La Roche was able to extend their lead to three late. Brown led BW defensively for the set with two solo blocks and two assisted blocks. After a service ace from Reinhard, the Yellow Jackets were in prime position to stage a comeback, only down one. Back to back kills from sophomore Alexis Garrett (Mentor) and freshman Earl, both assisted by sophomore Kathleen Egan (Cleveland / Beaumont), put the Yellow Jackets up one. BW would win the set, 26-24, off an attack error by La Roche.
BW began the second set right where they left off with a five to nothing run off of Nuding's service run. La Roche was able to diminish the lead to three but the offense of BW wouldn't allow any chance, due in part to a service run from a different Yellow Jacket, freshman Morgan Mellinger (Akron / St. Vincent St. Mary). Mellinger would finish the set with a kill, assisted from Egan, finalizing the score at 25-14.
Mellinger and Reinhard helped BW establish the lead early and the Yellow Jackets never looked back. Both Nuding and Egan had major impact offensively with both reaching 25 and 17 assists respectively in the match. Earl was a defensive machine totaling 12 digs over the three sets. Alicia Lortcher (Norwalk) was a force offensively for the Yellow Jackets as she led the way with 12 kills of her own. Freshman Morgan Martin (Seven Hills / Trinity) finished the match with an ace to close out La Roche with a score 25-18.
The Yellow Jackets will be in action again this weekend as they travel to Brockport, N.Y for the Golden Eagle Invitational, hosted by The College of Brockport. The first two matches will be at 4 and 8pm on Friday and Saturday's matches will be at 1 and 3pm.
