CWRU Comes from Behind to Win Halloween Thriller at John Carroll
The Case Western Reserve University volleyball team defeated crosstown rival John Carroll University in a five-set thriller on Halloween night at the DeCarlo Varsity Center in University Heights, Ohio, winning 16-25, 23-25, 25-23, 25-22, 15-8.
The Spartans improved to 19-7 on the season, while the Blue Streaks fell to 16-10 overall.
Junior outside hitter Rea Marfatia (14 kills, 10 digs) and first-year outside hitter Emily Goodpaster (11 kills, 13 digs) each picked up double-doubles for the second consecutive match. Senior middle blocker Jennifer Ngo had 12 kills, eight digs, two service aces, and eight blocks, increasing her season total to 104 total blocks. Ngo reached the 100-block milestone for the third consecutive season and ranks sixth in program history with 316 career blocks. Senior libero Alyssa Blessinger had a team-high 22 digs, senior setter Ansley Yamaato paced the squad with 22 assists, and junior setter/right side hitter Carly Scott added 20 assists and four blocks.
With the score tied at 11 in the middle of the first set, John Carroll won eight of the next 11 points to gain a 19-14 lead. The Spartans cut the deficit to four points, 20-16, on a JCU ball handling error, but the Blue Streaks won the final five points to win the first set.
JCU led by as many as six points, 16-10, in the middle of the second set. The Spartans fought back using an 11-5 run to tie the score at 21 on a service ace by Marfatia. The teams then traded the next four points. With the score tied at 23, the hosts won the last two points to claim the second set and take a 2-0 lead in the match.
CWRU started the third set with a 5-0 run on the service of senior defensive specialist Hannah Fox. A 7-1 run by the hosts later in the set gave the Blue Streaks a 17-15 lead, and, following a service error, JCU won the next two points to lead by three. After a Spartan timeout and JCU attacking error, Goodpaster recorded back-to-back kills to tie the score at 19.
The hosts used a timeout and won the next two points to reclaim a two-point advantage. Kills by Goodpaster and Ngo tied the score at 21, and a John Carroll attacking error put the Spartans ahead. A kill by JCU evened the score again, but Ngo put the visitors two points away from forcing a fourth set with her eighth kill of the evening. JCU tied the score, but a kill by Ngo and a block by Ngo and Scott pushed the match to a fourth set.
Case Western Reserve began the next set on a 5-2 run, looking to force a decisive fifth set. The Blue Streaks used a 6-2 run of their own to take an 8-7 advantage early in the set and prompt a CWRU timeout. The teams split the next two points before four consecutive blocks put the Spartans ahead 12-9. JCU won four of the next five points to even the score at 13, but three straight kills gave Case Western Reserve a 16-13 lead. The hosts tied the score with three straight points following a timeout. The Spartans followed with a 3-0 run, but the Blue Streaks countered with one of their own, tying the score at 19.
Goodpaster's 10th kill of the evening gave the visitors the lead, a service ace by Blessinger increased the advantage to two, and a block by Ngo and Goodpaster prompted a JCU timeout with the score at 22-19. After the break, another block gave CWRU a 23-19 lead. The hosts won the next point, but a kill by junior right side hitter Erin Murphy put the Spartans one point away from tying the match. Two straight JCU points kept the set alive, but Ngo forced the fifth set with her 11th kill.
After the teams split the first four points of the final set, the Spartans won the next three to gain a 5-2 lead, prompting a JCU timeout. The Blue Streaks won the point after the break, but three straight CWRU points gave the visitors an 8-3 lead midway through the set. A block by sophomore middle blocker Kiya Levy and a service ace by Yamaato extended the team's lead to seven. John Carroll won the next two points after a timeout to cut their deficit to five, but Case Western Reserve reclaimed the seven-point lead with back-to-back points. Two straight JCU kills made the score 12-7, however that would be as close as the hosts would get to tying the score. CWRU won three of the final four points to complete the comeback and clinch the road win.