SANDUSKY, Ohio – The Baldwin Wallace University women's volleyball team competed on day two of Great Lakes Cross Over inside the Cedar Point Sports Complex. The Yellow Jackets swept Grove City (Pa.) College and beat Hanover (Ind.) College in five sets to earn Head Coach Kristina Fultz her first victories at BW and of her head coaching career.

BW (2-2) swept the Grove City Wolverines (0-3) by 25-19, 25-16, and 25-17 final set scores. The Yellow Jackets claimed the big five-set win over the Hanover Panthers (1-3) by set scores of 25-14, 24-26, 23-25, 25-18, and 17-15.

MATCH 1

BW grabbed the early jump on the Wolverines, getting out to a 12-6 lead to force Grove City to a timeout. An ace by junior setter Olivia Zawadzki (Hilliard/Darby) put the Yellow Jackets up ten (19-9) before BW closed out the first set, winning 25-19.

The Yellow Jackets earned a 5-0 advantage to start set two. Back-to-back kills by freshman outside hitter Gabby Schlecht (Naperville, Ill./North) earned BW the 14-3 lead, forcing Grove City to a timeout, but the Yellow Jackets went on to win the set 25-16. A kill by sophomore outside hitter Sydney Simonson (Sullivan/Black River) put the Yellow Jackets up 15-6 in set three and stayed up, winning the set (25-17) and match (3-0).

KEY STATS

17 - Freshman defensive specialist Paige Contris (Pemberville/Eastwood) tallied a team-high 17 digs and added a service ace
15 - Schlecht posted a match-high 15 kills and posted six digs and four aces
33 - Zawadzki finished with a match-high 33 assists and added seven digs and one ace
Senior Academic All-OAC middle hitter Isa Luciano (Willoughby/South) and freshman middle hitter Maleia Thurber (Temecula, Calif./Chaparral) each tallied four total blocks and Luciano added four aces

MATCH 2

BW earned the commanding 15-4 lead in set one against the Panthers. Hanover brought it within eight points (20-12) but the Yellow Jackets closed out the set, outscoring the Panthers 5-2 (25-14). The Yellow Jackets found themselves down 17-21 in set two before three straight kills brought the game within one point. BW went up in the set 24-22 before Hanover tallied four to win the set (26-24).

The Yellow Jackets notched another early lead (12-8) before the Panthers went up 14-13. BW went up 23-22 over Hanover, but the Panthers tallied three straight points to go up 2-1 in the match. The Yellow Jackets grabbed the 18-14 advantage deep into set four, forcing a Hanover timeout. Out of the break, BW outscored the Panthers 7-4 to win the set (25-18) and force the fifth.

Hanover went up 10-5 to start the fifth, causing the Yellow Jackets to take their second and final timeout. Down 12-6, BW battled its way all the way back to tie the set at 13-13. Tied at 15-15, back-to-back blocks by Thurber gave BW the set (17-15) and match (3-2) victory.

KEY STATS

49 & 14 – Zawadzki notched a double-double with 49 assists and 14 digs, she also added five blocks
27 – Sophomore All-OAC libero Lauren Gardner (Avon/Saint Joseph Academy) totaled a team-high 27 digs
Thurber totaled eight kills with no errors (.470) and led the team with six blocks
Schlecht also tallied a double-double, leading the team in kills (12) and added 13 digs and a team-high five service aces

UP NEXT

The Yellow Jackets are back in action Wednesday, September 7 as they host Hiram College in the 2022 Home Opener. First serve is set for 7:00 p.m. in Ursprung Gymnasium inside the Lou Higgins Center.