Lady Jacket volleyball ousts Earlham in Wednesday affair

RICHMOND, Ind. – The Defiance College volleyball team extended its winning streak to three on Wednesday, October 9, as it defeated the Earlham Quakers on the road by set scores of 25-19, 25-13 and 25-15. DC improves to 14-5 (2-0 HCAC) and Earlham drops to 3-17 (0-3 HCAC).

In what was arguably the Jackets cleanest match of the season, they dominated the Quakers in straight sets with 34 kills and only four errors on an outstanding .517 attack percentage.

The first set was the most difficult for Defiance. Earlham got off to a hot start, but DC weathered the storm and eventually recaptured the lead and extended it to five at 18-13. The Quakers then battled back and cut the deficit to 21-19.

However, back-to-back blocks featuring senior Chelsea Ludeman (Napoleon, Ohio/Napoleon) and freshman Kelsey Tietje (Deshler, Ohio/Patrick Henry) gave the Purple and Gold the momentum and it took the final four points of the set to win 25-19.

The Lady Jackets rode that wave into set two and got ahead early with the first five points. DC then pushed its lead to 14-2, after it notched six straight points with freshman Makayla Dennis (Bryan, Ohio/Bryan) on the serve. Defiance then cruised its way to a 25-13 win in set two.

Much of the same continued in the third set, as the Purple and Gold jumped on top 6-3. The Jackets then broke away with seven-straight points, including a streak of three-straight aces that put them ahead 13-3. Earlham tried to claw back, but could not overcome the nearly flawless play of DC and it wrapped up the match with a 25-15 final set.

Seniors Lexy Pierce (Wauseon, Ohio/Wauseon) and Christa Seidenstricker (Plain City, Ohio/Jonathan Alder) led the way with outstanding stat lines. Pierce put togethrt nine kills, zero errors and .643 attack percentage and Seidenstricker had seven kills, zero errors and .778 attack percentage. Tietje added four total blocks to lead Defiance at the defensive end.

The Yellow Jackets will be back in action this Saturday, October 12, when they travel to Lexington, Kentucky to take on Transylvania and Washington and Lee. DC will go up against the Pioneers at 1 pm and the Generals at 3 pm.