TIFFIN, Ohio – For the second-straight year, unfavorable weather forced Spike Night inside Seiberling Gymnasium on the campus of Heidelberg University as the night was a volleyball festival and fundraiser for FACT of Seneca County. Heidelberg used a strong performance at the net to hand the Dragons a 3-0 setback (25-23, 25-14, 25-17).
Tiffin opened the match with its strongest effort of the night, battling through 10 ties and four lead changes in a tightly contested opening set. The Dragons trailed 24-22 late but fought off one set point on a kill by sophomore
Kensie Butler before Heidelberg was able to secure the 25-23 win.
Butler paced the Tiffin attack with a team-high seven kills in the opening frame and finished the contest hitting .214.
Amber Czerniak and
Katelyn Owens each added seven and six respectively, while Owens posted an efficient .417 hitting percentage.
After narrowly dropping the first set, the Dragons struggled to find their offensive rhythm in the second. Heidelberg used a 13-4 run to build a double-digit advantage and never looked back, claiming a 25-14 victory to take a commanding 2-0 lead in the match.
The Student Princes carried that momentum into the third set, jumping out to a 10-3 advantage before Tiffin mounted a response. Sparked by a service run from
Lexi Barber, the Dragons scored six consecutive points to pull within 10-9. Heidelberg answered by regaining control down the stretch, eventually closing out the sweep with a 25-17 win.
Maggie Pavlansky directed the Tiffin offense with 18 assists, while
Morgan Morley led the defensive effort with a match-high 14 digs. Barber added seven digs and an ace.
Tiffin moves to 0-11 on the season and will return to Great Midwest Athletic Conference action later this week. The 'Gons will host Ohio Dominican University inside the Gilmore Center at 7 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 25.
