Jackets suffer first conference loss, swept at Rochester Christian

ROCHESTER HILLS, Mich. – The Defiance Yellow Jackets were handled in three sets (25-14, 25-17, 25-8) by the Rochester Christian Warriors on Saturday and suffered the team's first loss in conference play this season.

The Yellow Jackets (12-6, 5-1 WHAC) entered Saturday's action with a lengthy nine-game winning streak, which was the program's longest since 2013, following a gritty victory over Lawrence Tech at home on Friday night. 

DC had encouraging starts to the first two sets of the match, leading by as many as four points in the first and by three near the halfway mark of the second. In each case, the Warriors rallied near the middle of the set to take control. In the first set, RCU won 16 of 20 rallies with the help of three different five-point streaks. The second set was tied 17-17 before the home squad rattled off eight in a row to put the Jackets in a two-set hole. The third set was all RCU as DC scored their fewest points in a set this year. 

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• Following the 17-17 tie in the second set, Rochester Christian outscored Defiance 33-8 to complete the sweep.
• The loss was just the third sweep of the season suffered by the Jackets this season, and it was the first time it occurred since the team's opening weekend last month.
• Offensively, the Jackets had their lowest hitting percentage of the year with 21 kills and 21 errors for an even .000 mark for the afternoon. The 21 kills were the team's fewest of the year while the error total was second-most in 2025.
• Chaney Brodbeck was the team's top attacker with nine kills and just four errors. She also had a team-best 10 digs on defense.
• Rochester Christian was efficient offensively, converting nearly half of their attacks into kills and hit .357 for the match.

UP NEXT
The Yellow Jackets host defending conference champion Aquinas in their next match, which will be a home contest at the Karl H. Weaner Center on Friday. First serve is scheduled for 7 p.m.

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