GRANVILLE, Ohio (Nov. 16) – Following a hard-fought two-plus hour marathon match, the Denison University volleyball team came up just short in its quest for its first North Coast Athletic Conference Tournament title Saturday in a five-set loss to second-seeded Ohio Wesleyan University in action Saturday afternoon at Livingston Gymnasium. 
 
The NCAC Tournament title is the first for the Battling Bishops since 1996. They will represent the NCAC in the NCAA Division III Tournament next week. 
 
Denison led by as many as five points during the opening set before earning a 25-23 victory. Maeve Perry notched the set-winning kill to give the Big Red the early advantage. 
 
Ohio Wesleyan came back in a big way in the second set. The Battling Bishops limited the Big Red to just four kills in the second set en route to a 25-9 victory. 
 
Denison trailed by as many as five points in the third set before mounting a late rally. Trailing by a 23-20 margin, the Big Red ripped off four-straight points to gain set point following a Claire Hamilton kill. However, OWU countered with three-straight points of their own to instead claim the set by a 26-24 margin. 
 
Facing with a must-win situation in the fourth set, the Big Red battled through an elongated set to eventually secure the set win by a 33-31 score. Denison fought off four match points in the fourth set to rally back. The Big Red recorded the final three points including a service ace by Sadie Habeeb to push the match to a fifth set. 
 
The two teams battled through a back and forth fifth set. OWU eventually pulled away with three-straight points to take a 12-9 advantage. Denison trimmed the deficit back to a single point with back-to-back points. However, the Battling Bishops recorded the final three points of the set to take the match and the championship. 
 
Denison put three players into double digit kills. Ayla Dunbar and Hamilton were the team leaders with 13 apiece. Maeve Perry finished with 10 kills. 
 
Alice Kempf tallied 42 assists and 25 digs in a terrific individual effort. 
 
Sadie Habeeb paced the Big Red with 26 digs while Ryan Kotalik tallied 15 digs. Habeeb chipped in four aces. 
 
OWU held a small edge in kills (56-55) and a 12-9 advantage in aces. The big separation statistically came in blocks with OWU leading by a wide 16-3 margin. 
 
Kempf and Dunbar earned All-Tournament Team honors from the NCAC following the event.