Chicago, Ill- The Denison volleyball team traveled to the Windy City for their fall break trip to take on the Maroons of the University of Chicago and the Vikings of North Park University. In match one, Denison fell to the host, Chicago, in straight sets. In the final match of the weekend, the Big Red fell to North Park, dropping to 8-13 on the season.

Match 1 (Denison 0, Chicago 3) (23-25, 20-25, 20-25)

To kick off the fall break trip, the Big Red volleyball team took the court against the Maroons of the University of Chicago. The hosts would strike first, downing the Big Red in the first set 25-23. Despite the early deficit, the Big Red were able to get within one point, courtesy of a Claire Hamilton kill, but the late effort was not enough to take the lead. 

Staying true to the early momentum, Chicago pounced first in the second set. The Big Red trailed by as much as nine. Denison was able to string together a late run, capitalizing on multiple errors by the Maroons and a kill from Maeve Perry.

In the third set, the Big Red was able to grab its first lead of the day, trading early blows with Chicago. Knotted at 10-10, the Maroons scored four in a row only to be met by a ferocious attack from Denison. The Big Red was able to get back even at 15 all before entering a back-and-forth battle with the Maroons. In the end, the opposition was able to down Denison in a 25-20 decision, closing the match with a 3-0 final score.

Hamilton, Kate Sicklick, and Perry led the Denison kill column with eight, six, and six, respectively.  Amelia Kurtz and Alice Kempf led the way in assists, tallying 11 and nine, respectively. With the match one loss, the Big Red drops to 8-12 on the year heading into match two. 

 

Match 2 (Denison 0, North Park 3) (16-25, 22-25, 25-27)

Coming off their first match loss, the Big Red came out swinging early in the first set. Ryan Kotalik served a pair of aces to help get Denison rolling. However, the Vikings would not stay down for long. Both squads scored 14 points each, with the Vikings going on to score 11 of the final 14 points, downing Denison to get a 1-0 set victory.

 The Vikings had all the momentum in the second set, jumping to a 13-3 lead out of the gates. The Big Red returned the favor, going on a run of their own to bring it within two, down 21-19. As the set climbed on, the Big Red were able to find a late spark, courtesy of a kill from Claire Hamilton, but the effort was not enough to overcome the deficit.

The third and final set was electrifying. Denison battled to a 19-16 lead heading into the closing moments. The Vikings would respond with a 6-0 run, only to be met by a 4-0 run by the Big Red. Both teams traded blows, extending the match past the coveted 25-point mark. Ultimately, Denison came up just short, dropping 27-25 in the final set of the day.

In the loss, Perry led the way with 12 kills for the Big Red offense. Perry hit a whopping .458 in the match. Kempf tacked on 11 assists to her impressive career total. Fellow senior, Sadie Habeeb, led the match in digs, recording 15 on the night.