CWRU Sweeps Oberlin in Midweek Matchup

CWRU Sweeps Oberlin in Midweek Matchup

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The Case Western Reserve University volleyball team swept Oberlin College 25-16, 27-25, 25-20, in a non-conference match at Philips Gymnasium in Oberlin, Ohio, on Wednesday night.

The Spartans improved to 5-4 this season, while the Yeowomen dropped to 0-6.

Stats and Standouts

  • First-year Maya Zarow finished with a team-high 16 kills (.469 hitting percentage) with junior Madeline Halter adding a season-high 10 kills on a .500 hitting percentage
  • Senior Avery Basinger contributed 20 assists and six digs with first-year Piper Starling adding 16 assists, four digs, and three service aces
  • Senior Emily Goodpaster paced the squad with 15 digs with five kills, and junior Sophia Datto added 10 digs

First Set (25-16)

  • Leading by one, 7-6, early in the match, CWRU used a 6-1 run to take a six-point lead
  • Oberlin cut the deficit to two with four consecutive points, including back-to-back service aces
  • A kill by Goodpaster stopped the run and ignited a 5-0 run for the visitors to give the Spartans an 18-11 advantage
  • Though a service error ended the run, Case Western Reserve won six of the next seven points to go ahead by 11, 24-13
  • Oberlin fought off three set points before Zarow finished the stanza with a kill

Second Set (27-25)

  • With the Spartans ahead by two early, Oberlin put down four consecutive kills to take an 11-9 lead
  • A service error and kill from Zarow evened the score, but the hosts won five points in a row to force another CWRU timeout
  • Kills by Halter and junior Sienna Olson, a service ace from Starling, and a block by Olson and sophomore Isabel Haytayan cut the deficit to just one, 16-15
  • The teams traded the next six points, but a 4-1 Spartan run gave the visitors a 21-20 edge on an Oberlin attacking error
  • The Yeowomen won three of the next four points and were serving ahead 23-22
  • Zarow tied the score with a kill, but an Oberlin kill gave the hosts the chance to serve for the set
  • Olson tied the score at 24, but Oberlin again responded with a kill
  • Goodpaster followed with a kill of her own, followed by Olson, to put the Spartans ahead by one
  • Sophomore Thea Beran finished the set with an ace to give CWRU a 2-0 lead in the match

Third Set (25-20)

  • The Spartans started the final set by winning eight of the first 10 points to take a six-point lead
  • Oberlin cut the deficit to four with a service ace before kills by Haytayan and Zarow put CWRU ahead 15-9
  • The Yeowomen took eight of the following 12 points to make the score 19-17 in favor of the visitors
  • After a timeout, Zarow put down two back-to-back kills, and a service ace by first-year Ava Felgar made the score 22-17
  • Oberlin came within three, 23-20, but a service error and an ace by senior Sude Naz Item clinched the set and the match for the Spartans

Spartan Notes

  • The Spartans improved to 32-2 against Oberlin since 1994, extending their winning streak to 10 matches, including four consecutive sweeps, in the series
  • Zarow, who leads the team with 121 kills in 2026, has at least 10 kills in every match of the season
  • CWRU had a .388 hitting percentage in the match, compared to .259 for Oberlin
  • The sweep was the second of the season for the Spartans, who have yet to play a five-set match during the campaign