TIFFIN, Ohio – The Tiffin University volleyball team opened G-MAC home play on Saturday afternoon but came up short against rival Findlay, falling in straight sets 25-20, 25-12, 25-19 inside the Gillmor Student Center.
The Dragons battled throughout the afternoon and showed resilience in the opening set, trimming a late 24-16 deficit down to 24-20 before the Oilers were able to close out the frame. Findlay carried that momentum into the second set and posted a .352 team attacking percentage in the match while recording 44 kills in the three-set victory.
Tiffin was led offensively by
Amber Czerniak, who posted a team-high 12 kills while adding a service ace and eight digs.
Parker Vackert chipped in eight kills and
Katelyn Owens added five kills. Setter
Kat Akolzin directed the offense with 31 assists while also collecting five digs.
Defensively, libero
Morgan Morley anchored the back row with a match-high 14 digs, while
Lexi Barber added nine and Akolzin chipped in six digs.
The Dragons hung with the Oilers early in the opening set, using kills from Czerniak, Owens and
Rian Strickland to knot the score at 6-6. After Findlay built a six-point advantage midway through the frame, Tiffin mounted a late rally. Consecutive kills from Vackert and Czerniak, along with a service ace from Czerniak, helped the Dragons score five of the final six points before the Oilers escaped with a 25-20 win.
Findlay seized control in the second set, racing to a 9-3 lead and never looking back. Tiffin received kills from Vackert, Czerniak and
Brookelyn Schmidt during the stretch, but the Oilers maintained their advantage en route to a 25-12 victory and a two-set lead.
The Dragons came out with renewed energy in the third set and briefly led 7-3 behind kills from Czerniak,
Jada Shade and Vackert, along with service aces from Kirker and
Lexi Barber. The teams traded points through the middle of the set before Findlay used a 6-1 run to create separation. Tiffin drew within 22-18 on a Czerniak kill, but the Oilers closed the match with three of the final four points to secure the sweep.
The Dragons move to 0-9 overall and 0-1 in G-MAC play, while the Oilers improve to 4-5 overall and 1-1 in conference action. Tiffin will return to action on Tuesday, Sept. 15 in a road matchup against Ashland University slated for 6 p.m.
