The Tiffin University volleyball team (4-2) split a pair of four-set matches against Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) foes Friday at the 2024 Hampton Inn and Suites Grand Rapids Downtown Classic hosted by Grand Valley State University. The Dragons battled the host Lakers and then defeated Saginaw Valley State in a neutral matchup.
In match one, the Dragons fell 18-25, 14-25, 25-19, 23-25. TU got off to a good start in the first set and held a 14-11 lead. A service error by Diana Heitkamp changed the trajectory of the set as the Lakers would score four straight to take a 15-14 and led the rest of the way. A block by Katelyn Owens Olivia Karhoff brought TU within one, 18-17, but the Lakers won seven of the last eight points to take set one.
After dropping set two, the Dragons got off to a great start in set three by winning the first six points which forced a GVSU timeout. TU withheld numerous rallies from the hosts but maintained the lead throughout the set. The Dragons led 21-18 and then scored four of the final five points to take the set with Kaylee Freund recording the kill to claim the set.
The Dragons got off to a slow start in the fourth set and trailed 7-2. TU fought back and a kill by Wakaya Wilson knotted the set at eight. The two teams then traded a few rallies. Another kill by Wilson and attack error from GVSU tied the set at 18 but the Dragons were unable to regain the lead. A kill by Kenedi Goon made it 24-23 Lakers and the Dragons were unable to extend the set as the Lakers ended the match on the next point on a kill by Meghan O'Sullivan.
Goon led the team in kills with 11 and Freund recorded 10. Heitkamp recorded 21 kills to lead the team and Addison Conti had 16 assists. As a team, the Dragons recorded 18 total blocks.
The Dragons bounced back in match two and defeated Saginaw Valley 25-10, 25-13, 21-25, 25-17. TU won the first three in the first set and eight of the first nine as they dominated the first set. Set two was similar, but this time the Dragons won the first six and nine of the first 11. TU recorded a kill percentage of over 40 in both the sets including a 0.481 mark in the second set.
Set three was the most competitive of the four that featured a back-and-forth affair and the Cardinals came out on top. Tied at 13, SVSU won the next three and the Dragons were unable to close the gap. TU trailed 2-1 in set four and the won the next four. The Dragons won the points on errors from SVSU. The Cardinals closed the gap to two at 18-16 but kills by Taylor Peterson, Wilson, and Freund sealed the match victory for the Dragons as they won seven of the final eight points.
Goon led the team with 14 kills, Morgan Morley recorded four service aces, and Clare Kwiatkowski led the way with 20 assists. As a team, Tiffin held a 49-41 advantage in kills, a 44-38 advantage in assists, and 44-32 advantage in digs. The Dragons also dominated the average kill percentage, finishing with a .404 compared to the SVSU's 0.105.
The Dragons play two more matches in Michigan tomorrow. At Davenport University, TU plays Glenville State in the morning (10am) and Missouri Western State (4pm) in the afternoon.
