Tiffin University

CRESTVIEW HILLS, Ky. - The Tiffin University volleyball team picked up a road victory on Friday evening, defeating Thomas More in four sets (25-17, 25-18, 28-30, 25-15) at the Connor Convocation Center. The Dragons controlled much of the match, using a balanced offensive attack and several key scoring runs to improve to 6-6 within the G-MAC and 6-18 overall.
 
After an early 1-1 tie in the opening set, Tiffin seized control with a dominant 13-3 run that was capped off with Brookelyn Schmidt and Brianna Langenderfer combining for a block at the net that made it 14-4. The 'Gons closed well seeing another kill from Langenderfer an opponent attacking error made it 25-17.
 
The Dragons carried that momentum into the second set. Consecutive kills from Katelyn Owens helped Tiffin race out to a 10-4 lead before a 7-2 surge stretched the advantage to 17-8. Owens continued to power the offense while Tiffin hit an impressive .295 in the frame, cruising to a 25-18 victory and a 2-0 match lead.
 
Set three proved to be the most tightly contested of the afternoon. Thomas More jumped ahead 4-0 before the Dragons battled back and eventually used a 7-1 run to turn a 16-13 deficit into a 20-17 advantage. Neither side was able to pull away the rest of the set as the teams exchanged points through multiple late ties. Tiffin fought off several set points, but the Saints ultimately escaped with a 30-28 win to extend the match.
 
Tiffin wasted little time responding in the fourth set. The Dragons broke open a 1-1 tie with a decisive 13-2 run sparked by the serving of Kat Akolzin, who recorded a pair of service aces during the stretch. Tiffin built its lead to 14-3 and never looked back, holding Thomas More to a .108 hitting percentage in the set before sealing the match with a 25-15 victory.
 
Parker Vackert led the offense with 14 kills, while Brianna Langenderfer chipped in 10 kills. Maggie Pavlansky and Kat Akolzin chipped in 25 and 19 assists apiece, with Pavlansky finished with the double-double with 11 digs.
 
The 'Gons return to action on Saturday in a G-MAC matchup at Kentucky Wesleyan at 6 p.m. / 5 p.m. (CT) on Saturday.