TIFFIN, Ohio - Tiffin (5-2, 3-0) used a big comeback in the second set and held on in the third to down Findlay (5-3, 2-1) 25-18, 27-25, 25-22 in the Gillmor Center Wednesday night.
The Dragons were led by Brooke Bernabei, who recorded a double-double with 11 digs and 10 kills. Setter Jessica Adams added 27 assists and nine digs while libero Lindsay Heller led all players in the game with 20 digs.
As a team, TU outhit Findlay .250-.192 with 44 kills on 124 attempts with 13 errors compared to the Oilers 41 kills on 120 attempts with 18 errors.
The visitors were led by Danielle Taflinger, who had nine kills. Megan Florence added a double-double for Findlay with 20 assists and 12 digs.
Findlay started the match up 3-0 after a Tiffin attack error and a pair of aces by Megan Florence. UF took a 5-2 lead, but TU struck back with an 8-3 run of its own to claim the lead for good in the set thanks in part to kills by Giavanna DiPietro, Bernabei, Brittany Teaford, Danielle McQuade and Jordan Jenkins.
The lead was built to 23-18 in the first before Maureen Kurtz's only kill of the night and a kill by DiPietro ended the set and gave Tiffin the seven-point, first set win. McQuade and Bernabei led the Green and Gold with four kills apiece in the frame.
The second set was a thriller for the Dragons, who rallied from a 24-22 deficit to outscore Findlay 5-1 over the next six points to take a two sets advantage. Down two with Findlay serving for the win, an Oiler attack error and an ace by Bernabei tied the frame at 24. UF forced another match point on a kill by Abby LaVigne, but she followed it up with a service error to tie the score again at 25. This time, TU took the lead on a Findlay attack error and McQuade ended the game on a kill as Tiffin won the thrilling second set 27-25.
In the third, momentum was squarely on the Tiffin side. After splitting the first 10 points in the set, the Dragons claimed the next four points to take the lead for good in the match. After a Bernabei kill gave TU a 6-5 lead, McQuade added a kill and Teaford added a pair of smashes for a Tiffin 9-5 lead. The lead grew to eight on many occasions and was 24-16 with the Dragons on set point. Findlay mounted a comeback to draw within 24-22, but an attack by Tiffin's Margaret Betz fell to the ground just inside the line on the Findlay side to end the match.
Tiffin continues its five-match home stand to begin Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play Friday when it takes on #19 Hillsdale College (6-1, 3-0 GLIAC). The battle for the top spot in the GLIAC South Division is set for 7 p.m.
