The Tiffin University volleyball team (1-1) opened the season on Friday with two matches at the University of Indianapolis Invitational. The Dragons dropped a very competitive match to Wisconsin-Parkside in straight sets in their first match of the season and in the nightcap, defeated Thomas More in another hard-fought match. The game against the Saints counted as a non-conference contest.
The win also marked the first win for Tiffin's head coach Cary Clark.
Parkside (21-25, 23-25, 24-26)
Set one started with the two teams trading points. With the Dragons trailing 10-8, Kaylee Freund recorded a kill but it was the Rangers who took control of the set after that as they recorded five straight points and eight of nine overall to take a 15-9 lead. The Dragons attempted to make a late run as they won four of five points getting kills by Freund and Maggie Pavlansky as well as a service ace by Lexi Barber. Freund's kill cut the deficit to 21-20 and the Rangers responded by winning four of the final five points to take the set.
Set two was more of the same early on with the teams trading points. With the set tied at 13, the teams exchanged the next six points that saw the Rangers take a 16-15 lead and Parker Vackert made it 16-16 with a kill and Tiffin took an 18-16 lead following two attack errors by Parkside. A kill by Jada Shade gave the Dragons a 20-18 lead and momentum returned to Parkside with the Rangers winning the next four points to lead 22-20. A kill by Olivia Karhoff tied it at 23 but the Rangers won the next two points via kill and a block to claim the set.
The Dragons started the third set with three straight points and another kill by Pavlansky made it 5-3 Tiffin. The Rangers took back momentum again by winning six straight and eight of nine to lead 11-6. Trailing 19-14, the Dragons responded. Tiffin won four straight and seven of eight and back-to-back kills by Shade put the Dragons back on top 21-20. The Dragons were two points away from extending the match with a 23-21 lead but couldn't hang on as the Rangers won five of the final six points.
Karhoff recorded a team-high 10 kills and 10 digs with Pavlansky recording 22 assists. For the match, the Dragons hit .124 compared to Parkside's .218. Parkside also had the advantage in digs (55-47).
Thomas More (26-28, 25-20, 25-20, 25-21)
Set one saw the teams trading leads early on. Later in the set, Thomas More won six of nine points to take a 24-19 lead. With their backs against the wall, the Dragons won six straight fueled by two kills each from Parker Vackert and Katelyn Owen to give the Dragons set point, but TU couldn't close it out as TMU won four of the final five points to take the set.
The Dragons got off to a quick 3-0 start in the second set and led the whole way. Leading 16-11, Owens recorded three kills and Symari Scott added another as Tiffin extended the lead to 20-11. The set ended with a kill by Vackert.
Just like set two, the Dragons never trailed in the third set. TU won five of the first eight to set the tone and later won six of seven to double up Thomas More at the time 12-6. The Saints rallied to tie it at 16 but the Dragons held off the rally winning the next seven in a row fueled by Maggie Pavlansky and Vackert. The Saints tried to rally late but the Dragons clinched the set on a service error by TMU.
The Dragons did trail early on in the fourth set but got some help by the Saints' attack errors to make it 10-10. Tied at 14, the two teams exchanged runs of three to make it 17-17. Kills by Owens, Olivia Karhoff, and Kaylee Freund sealed the deal for the Dragons late as Tiffin won four of the final five points to clinch their first win of the season.
Pavlansky racked up a whopping 52 assists in the match with four finishing in double-digit kills led by Owen's 18. The Dragons as a team had 64 kills, 61 assists, and 65 digs.
Tiffin's hit percentage for the match was .259 compared to Thomas More's .159.
