No. 14 Volleyball opens 42nd Annual ONU Invitational with sweep of Hanover (Ind.), 4-set victory over Mt St Joseph
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hanover (Ind.) 1-0,0-0 | 18 | 14 | 18 | 0 |
| #14 Ohio Northern 1-0,0-0 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 3 |
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mt. St. Joseph 1-0,0-0 | 10 | 16 | 25 | 20 | 1 |
| #14 Ohio Northern 2-0,0-0 | 25 | 25 | 22 | 25 | 3 |
Team Stats
Hanover (Ind.)
#14 Ohio Northern
| Game Statistics | Hanover (Ind.) | #14 Ohio Northern |
|---|---|---|
| Hitting % | .103 | .337 |
| Blocks | 2.0 | 10.0 |
| Digs | 40 | 53 |
| Aces | 2 | 6 |
Mt. St. Joseph
| Game Statistics | Mt. St. Joseph | #14 Ohio Northern |
|---|---|---|
| Hitting % | .076 | .309 |
| Blocks | 4.0 | 9.0 |
| Digs | 57 | 80 |
| Aces | 4 | 3 |
By Tim Glon
| 2021 ONU Invitational Site |
ADA — No. 14-ranked Ohio Northern opened play of its 42nd Annual ONU Invitational on Friday with a 25-18, 25-14, 25-18 victory over Hanover (Ind.) and a 25-10, 25-18, 22-25, 25-20 victory over Mount Saint Joseph at the ONU Sports Center.
The Polar Bears (2-0 overall) got a match-high 10 kills from senior Melina Woods (Ada) and a match-high 19 digs from senior Hannah Irmer (Indianapolis, Ind./Roncalli) in the victory over Hanover in the afternoon.
The Panthers (1-1) got a team-high seven kills from Emma Harmon.
In the first set, ONU jumped to an 8-2 lead and led by as many as 18-9 on the way to a 25-18 win.
Northern got off to another quick start in set two, leading 10-3. HC pulled within 16-12, but ONU ended the set on a 9-2 run to win 25-14.
The Polar Bears held a slim 11-10 lead in Set 3 until a 6-0 run extended that advantage to 17-10. The Panthers pulled within 20-16, but ONU won five of the final seven points to win the match.
In the nightcap against MSJ, Woods drilled 18 kills and freshman Taylor Baxter (Bellevue) and sophomore Sydney Eggleton (Southfield, Mich./Farmington) each had 10 kills for ONU.
The Lions (1-1) got a match-high 20 kills from Emily Abshire.
Northern hit a blistering .440 in the first set with 12 kills and only one error on just 25 attempts, while holding Mt St Joseph to -.200 hitting on four kills, 10 errors and 30 attacks.
The Polar Bears raced to leads of 7-1 and 16-4 in the set.
ONU's offensive prowess improved in Set 2, hitting .466 with 15 kills on 28 attempts. A 7-1 run gave the hosts a 22-13 advantage en route to a 25-16 win.
MSJ drew some momentum at the end of Set 2 and carried it over to Set 3. With the score tied at 17-all, the Lions went on a small 4-1 run, but the 21-18 lead was enough as the two teams traded points the rest of the way.
Northern used a 4-0 run to go up 15-10 in the fourth set. MSJ drew within 15-13, but ONU extended the lead to 20-14 and were not challenged the rest of the way.
Ohio Northern hit .309 for the match with 55 kills and 13 errors on 136 attacks, while Mount Saint Joseph his .076 with 42 kills and 30 errors on 158 attempts.
The Polar Bears will complete their ONU Invitational action Saturday afternoon at 12:30 p.m. with a match against Wittenberg.
