COLUMBUS, Ohio - The Dragons, looking to all but clinch its first ever appearance in the GLIAC tournament, took control early and never let up as Tiffin (13-14, 9-8) downed Ohio Dominican (7-18, 2-15) in straight sets 25-17, 25-21, 25-10.
Tiffin outhit Ohio Domincan .250-.045, including slamming the door on the Panthers in the third set .263-(negative).100. The Panthers did manage to out-block the Dragons 6-4, but Tiffin recorded 48 kills to 27.
Individually, Jessica Adams recorded a double-double with 37 assists and 16 digs. Danielle McQuade narrowly missed double-digits in a pair of categories with 12 kills and eight digs while Brittany Teaford added 10 kills and a team-high three blocks. Lindsay Heller had 22 digs while Brooke Bernabei contributed 10.
For the Panthers, Summer Hale was painfully close to a rare three-set triple-double with 19 digs, 11 assists and seven kills. Stacy Rogg contributed 18 digs and Elyse Mongillo had 12 assists.
Tiffin set a blistering tone early, jumping to a 10-2 lead in the opening frame thanks to a service run by Jordan Jenkins that featured a McQuade and Teaford kill, an assisted block by Teaford and Adams and a pair of ODU attack errors. Both teams split the final 30 points as Tiffin took the 1-0 lead in the contest.
Ohio Dominican took an early three-point lead in the second. Tiffin went on to tie the set at and went on an 8-2 run to exert control in the set thanks to kills from McQuade (two) and Giavanna DiPietro and Margaret Betz and four Panther errors. The Tiffin lead ballooned to seven at 21-14, but Ohio Dominican forced a TU timeout with a 5-0 run on a pair of kills and three Dragon attack errors.
Out of the timeout after both teams traded sideouts, Tiffin all but wrapped up the set thanks to a Teaford kill and an ODU error. The Panthers held on one Dragon set point, but a McQuade kill gave Tiffin the 2-0 lead.
While the match-winning set has been tough for Tiffin all season, the Dragons left nothing in doubt early and won by 15. Maureen Kurtz put TU on serve with a kill with a McQuade ace, two ODU attack errors and a DiPietro kill spotted the visitors five points out of the gate. Ohio Dominican did pull within three at 9-6, but a long Teaford service rally KO'd the Panthers. Unlike many runs fueled in the match by attack errors, four kills and an ace with only two miscues by Ohio Dominican put Tiffin up 16-6.
If Teaford knocked out the home team in the final set, Adams poured salt in the wound. The Panthers ended the Teaford rally with an Emily Post kill, but an attack error put Adams on serve. Tiffin took an 11-point lead on an ODU attack error and pushed the lead to 13 on a pair of kills. The Dragons finished the match in style with a 15-point win.
Tiffin returns to action for its final home weekend of the season when it hosts Lake Erie and Ashland with the possibility of moving into the seventh spot for the upcoming GLIAC Tournament. The Dragons take on the Storm Friday night (Nov. 5) at 7 p.m., while facing the Eagles Saturday afternoon (Nov. 6) at 1 p.m.
