DC Volleyball falls in HCAC Finals
Nick Williams, Assistant SID

CINCINNATI, Ohio—The Defiance College Volleyball squad advanced to the Heartland Conference finals before falling to #16 Mount St. Joseph in three games. In the first match of the weekend against Transylvania on Saturday afternoon, DC got off to a good start, jumping out to a 10-2 lead. However, Transy pulled within 5, making the score 17-12. Defiance then regained its momentum, extending the lead to 23-15, en route to the 30-18 win.

Game two began with the momentum shifting back and forth, as evidenced by the 5-5 tie. DC began to break away, going ahead 11-7. With a consistent game plan of solid hitting and good defense, DC maintained its lead and never looked back, winning the game 30-16.

Game three saw the Yellow Jackets jump out to an early 7-3 lead. With timely hitting and sound defense, DC went on an 11-1 run to make the score 18-4. At one point, Transy went on a four-point rally, bringing the score to 23-8. At this point, Defiance buckled down and scored six straight points of its own. After four more points by Transy, Lauren Aldridge put the match away with a kill for a 30-12 win and a trip to the semifinals.

The semifinal match against Franklin on Saturday evening proved to be the best team effort by the Yellow Jackets all season. In game one, Defiance comes out on all cylinders, taking a commanding 10-3 lead. As Franklin continued to make a comeback, Defiance was able to play consistently, keeping away from balls that would eventually go out of bounds, playing good defense, and minimizing mistakes. A net ball by Franklin ended the game in favor of Defiance 30-16.

In game two, things took a turn for the worse. Franklin began the game on a roll, jumping out to a 4-1 lead. The Yellow Jackets eventually would tie the game at five, and take a 12-8 lead after a 7-3 run. Franklin pulled within one at 15-14, tied the game at 15, then regained the lead 16-15 on a service ace. A few minutes later, misfortune struck the Yellow Jacket squad. With Franklin up 19-16, Jill Evans twisted her ankle coming down on a Franklin player’s foot at the net while trying to go for a block and would have to leave the game. With Evans going off the court with the help of the athletic trainers, Brittany Cooley comes in to replace her at the setter position. With Cooley at the helm, a 10-4 run gives the Jackets a 26-23 lead. However, seven straight points by Franklin gives the Grizzlies the game win.

In the third game, Defiance looked somewhat out of sync, quite possibly having to do with the loss of one of their senior leaders. DC falls behind early 8-5 but would eventually tie the game at 12. However, the Grizzlies mount a run of their own, pulling away 17-23. The Yellow Jackets never came closer than five and would drop the set 30-21. At the beginning of the fourth set, DC still appeared to have a little trouble readjusting, as positioning and communication issues put the Jackets in an 8-4 hole. Franklin continued to put the pressure on DC, stretching the lead to 15-8. At this point, the Jackets gradually began to regain their composure and focus, tying the game at 20, and eventually taking a two-point lead at 24-22. That lead put the spark in the

Riding high on emotion and team spirit, the Yellow Jackets storm out to a quick 3-0 lead via two kills by Julie Steineman and a service ace by Nichole Billups. With solid play by Steineman and Dani Rego, DC extends the lead to 8-3. Though Franklin attempted to mount a comeback, pulling within four, it proved not to be enough. Corrie Farley’s kill brought Defiance to match point, and with another right-handed swing by Farley, Defiance secured the 2-1 comeback with a 15-7 win.

In the championship match against Mount St. Joseph on Sunday afternoon, the Yellow Jackets just could not recapture the magic from the Franklin match. Defiance trailed halfway through the first set 17-15. The Jackets pulled within one, making the score 18-17, but three straight points by the Lions widened the gap to four. MSJ kept the pressure on DC’s defense, pulling away 26-18 en route to a 30-20 win.

In the second game, a couple of questionable calls against Defiance put the Yellow Jackets in an early 12-4 hole. The Jackets would eventually bring the score to 15-9, but the Lions ultimately put a stop to any rally DC would make, expanding the lead to 22-12 and finally winning the set 30-15.

Game three saw a more focused Yellow Jacket squad, as Rego began the set with a kill. Through a series of rallies, MSJ took an 8-6 lead, which then turned into a 15-7 lead after a 7-1 run. Defiance makes a valiant effort to come back, bringing the score to 18-13. However, the two teams continued to trade points, while the Lions maintained a five-point edge. In the end, MSJ took the match 30-27 on a DC ball handling error.

By the end of the weekend, the DC Volleyball Team had gone through an emotional rollercoaster ride, experiencing the highs and lows in three matches that proved to be a microcosm of the entire season. Over a three-match, 24-hour period, the Yellow Jackets went from a decisive victory in the first round, to losing a valuable on-and-off-the-court leader in Jill Evans to injury, then rallying from a 2-1 deficit to advance to the HCAC Tournament Championship. Although the Yellow Jackets did not win the conference title, the perseverance, resolve, and determination shown in the Franklin match was representative of what is Defiance College Volleyball.

Defiance ends the season with an overall record of 21-11 and a conference record of 8-2.