GRANVILLE, Ohio (September 3, 2022) – Day two of the Big Red Invitational for the Denison University volleyball team started with a tough five-set loss, 3-2 (22-25, 25-19, 22-25, 25-19, 15-6), in its first ever matchup against Centre College. Then in the final match of the weekend, however, the Big Red pulled out a big five-set win, 3-2 (25-19, 17-25, 14-25, 25-19, 15-9) of their own over No. 23 nationally-ranked Ohio Northern University.
 
Match 1 (Denison 2, Centre 3):

• After Denison won both the first and the third sets by a score of 25-22 and Centre won both the second and the fourth sets by a score of 25-19, Centre pulled away in the fifth set with an 8-0 run featuring five kills to take a 13-4 lead.
• Earlier in the match, Denison led 23-22 in the opening set and clinched the set on back-to-back kills by Kelly McCaskey and Emma Goss, both assisted by Alice Kempf.
• Centre recorded 7-0 runs during both the first two sets and then used an 8-1 run to take an 18-17 lead in the third set before Denison bounced back with a 4-0 run to take a 21-18 advantage. A kill by Sidney Gossard made it 23-20 Big Red before the teams traded four service errors in a row to end the set and give Denison a 2-1 advantage.
• In the fourth set, Denison led 14-13 on back-to-back kills by McCaskey and Lucy Anderson before a 6-1 Colonels' run made it 19-15 Centre. Another kill by Anderson made it 20-18 before Centre ended the set on a 5-1 run to force the deciding fifth frame.
• McCaskey (12), Anderson (11) and Natalie Hutras (10) each reached double digits in kills for the Big Red while Anderson added four service aces and also had four blocks for the second match in a row to open the season.
• The Big Red also had three players record double-doubles on the match as McCaskey added 15 digs for her first career double-double, Hutras had 13 digs for her first double-double, and Kirby MacKinnon had 25 assists to go along with 16 digs for her first double-double of the season.
• It was the second straight five-set match for Centre at the Big Red Invitational after doing so in a 3-2 loss against Ohio Northern on Friday night.

 
Match 2 (Denison 3, No. 23 Ohio Northern 2):

• Trailing 8-7 in the deciding fifth set, the Big Red rattled off seven straight points in a run that featured four attack errors by ONU and brought up match point.
• Two points later, Denison finished off the win with a kill by McCaskey assisted by MacKinnon.
• In the opening set, Denison closed it out on a 7-2 run featuring two kills by Hutras and three more ONU attack errors, and then the Big Red jumped out to leads of 8-2 and 12-5 in the fourth set before needing a 5-0 run to take control up 18-11.
• In the end, Anderson finished with 13 kills while Hutras added 12, and Anderson again had four blocks for the third match in a row to open the season.
• MacKinnon finished with 26 assists while Sophie Tight had her best match of the young season with 14 assists, and Jenna Corrao added 12 digs.

 
Records:

• Denison improves to 2-1 on the season. In 2021, the Big Red swept then No. 8-ranked ONU early during tournament play, making it two years in a row they have pulled off the upset over the Polar Bears.
• Centre moves to 3-1 overall while ONU moves to 2-1 with its first loss of the year coming against Denison.

 
Next Up: The Big Red will play at Otterbein University in nonconference action beginning at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, September 7, before heading to the MIAA/NCAC Crossover hosted that weekend (Sep. 9-10) by Hope College in Holland, Michigan.