Westerville, OH: The Big Red volleyball team picked up action against a fellow Ohio foe, taking on the No. 21 Otterbein Cardinals at the Rike Center. The Big Red presents with a 6-5 record, up against the 9-1 Otterbein squad. The Cardinals, playing in front of an energetic crowd, took control of the match early, winning in a 3-0 sweep. The Big Red evened out at .500 on the season with the loss as the Cardinals break double-digit wins.

Up Next: The Big Red will return home to Livingston Gymnasium on Saturday for a three-team showcase. Denison will kick off action with a match against the Capital Comets at noon. Following a break, they will take on the Bluffton Beavers at 4:00 PM.

Match 1 (Denison 0, #21 Otterbein 3)

The Big Red fell behind early in their Friday night match to a talented Otterbein team. In the first set, all momentum was in favor of the Cardinals, but a trio of kills from Claire Hamilton, Emily Monachino, and Maeve Perry provided a late spark but it wasn't enough to take back control in the 25-10 loss. 

The second set got off to a different start. The Big Red jumped out to an early lead but were met by a resilient Otterbein squad. However, the offense, sparked by a service error, rattled off five points in a row. Hamilton, Perry, and Kate Sicklick were able to grab kills late as the teams traded leads back and forth. Ultimately, the Cardinals pulled away in a 25-23 win to take a 2-0 lead. 

In the third set, the Big Red fought hard with their backs against the wall. After knotting things up at 12 all, Otterbein proceeded to go on a run to take a healthy lead, but Denison was not willing to bow out. Claire Hamilton and Kate Sicklick shaved the lead down, but a final five-point run by the Cardinals was enough to seal the 3-0 loss for the Big Red. 

Maeve Perry led the kill column for the Big Red with nine on the night while also hitting an impressive .600. Alice Kempf led the way with 23 assists, continuing to add to her impressive season total.