The Tiffin University volleyball team (4-11) got back in the win column with two wins on Friday at the Midwest Region Crossover, sweeping Upper Iowa 3-0 (25-22, 26-24, 25-21), and then outlasted Saginaw Valley State in five sets 3-2 (13-25, 25-15, 25-17, 23-25, 15-13).
Upper Iowa
The Dragons got off to a strong start as back-to-back kills by Jada Shade gave TU an early 8-5 advantage. Tiffin stayed on top as an ace by Kat Akolzin made it 18-11, but the Dragons had to stave off a rally from Upper Iowa as the Peacocks won six of seven to cut the deficit to one. Tiffin maintained the edge and leading 23-22, Olivia Karhoff and Kaylee Freund ended it with back-to-back kills.
In the second set, it was Upper Iowa who started strong as the Peacocks led 10-3. The Dragons got right back in it as aces by Akolzin and Alyse Smith cut the deficit to one, 11-10. Once the Dragons got back in it and made it close, the set featured 11 ties down the stretch. Tiffin finished strong to take a two-set lead. Trailing 23-22, TU won four of the final five points and clinched it on a kill by Parker Vackert.
With the third set tied at four, the Dragons rattled off six in a row to lead 10-4 and maintained the lead the rest of the way. The Peacocks only got within four and Katelyn Owens ended the match with a kill.
Vackert finished with a team-high nine kills and Maggie Pavlansky had 20 assists. Defensively, Morgan Morley led the way with 22 digs.
The Dragons finished with a hitting percentage of .167 compared to the Peacocks' .124.
Saginaw Valley State
The opening set saw three lead changes early on and an attack error by the Cardinals gave Tiffin a 6-5 lead, but the Cardinals took control after that winning 11 of the next 12 points to take a 16-7 lead. Three SVSU attack errors brought the Dragons within six, 17-11, and won eight of the final ten points to take the set.
The teams traded points to start the second set and this time it was the Dragons who took control midway through. Tiffin won eight of nine to take a 16-7 lead and a kill from Jade Shade tied it at one set apiece.
TU trailed in the third set and an ace by Olivia Karhoff tied it at 11. Tied at 13, Tiffin regained the advantage winning nine of 11 to lead 22-15 following a kill by Symari Scott and two errors by the Cardinals helped the Dragons clinch the third set.
The Dragons were in position to take the match in four sets leading 23-21 but three straight attack errors by the Dragons gave the Cardinals a 24-23 lead and SVSU got a kill to force a fifth.
The Dragons shook off a two-point deficit twice in the fifth and rallied to win the match. Back-to-back kills by Maddie Daniel put TU on top, 13-12, and after the Cardinals tied it, the Dragons got two straight kills from Kaylee Freund and Scott to clinch it.
Daniel led the way offensively with 15 kills and Scott added 12. Maggie Pavlasnky had 27 assists and 11 digs, while Morley and Karhoff had 19 and 17 digs, respectively.
