COLUMBIA, Mo. – The (22) Ottawa University women's volleyball team finished day one of the Hampton Inn Classic with two victories. Ottawa defeated no. 19 Central Methodist University 3-2 and William Penn University 3-0.

(19) Central Methodist University (W, 3-2)
How it Happened

• With set one tied, 5-5, Central Methodist went on a 6-1 run to take an 11-6 lead over the Braves. Ottawa was not able to rally, and the Eagles took the 25-19 victory.
• OU opened set two by taking a 4-1 lead over Central Methodist. Kills by Radaisy Valdez and Chaney Barth gave the Braves a 6-3 lead. CMU did not go away and tied the set, 16-16. Ottawa responded with a 4-1 run and after a block by Valdez and Reile Payne, OU led 20-17. The Eagles answered by scoring the next three points to tie the set, 20-20. A kill by Valdez, a block by Lillian Holden and Kira Cherry, and a kill from Chaney Barth gave OU a 24-22 lead. After a CMU timeout, Ottawa ended the set on a Barth kill, taking the 25-22 victory.
• A 7-3 lead by the Braves to start set three led to an Eagle timeout. Kills by Jontara West and a CMU attacking error gave the Braves an 11-5 lead. Ottawa held CMU in check for the rest of the set, taking the 25-17 victory.
• Ottawa had the lead at the start of set four, 6-3. Central Methodist rallied, taking a 12-9 lead over the Braves. CMU built its lead to 24-19. The Braves tried to stage a comeback, cutting the deficit to 24-23 on a Valdez kill. OU was not able to get over the hump as the Eagles scored the next point to take the 25-23 victory.
• An Eagle attacking error and two straight kills by Valdez gave OU a 3-1 lead over CMU in set five. Kills by West and Payne increased the OU lead to 9-4 over CMU. Ottawa did not allow Central Methodist to rally and the Braves took the 15-11 victory.

Inside the Box Score

• Ottawa finished the five set match with 72 kills, a .232 attacking percentage, 66 assists, five service aces, 80 digs, and 12 team blocks.
• The Braves had four players with double digit kills. Radaisy Valdez had 22 kills, a .432 attacking percentage, two service aces, seven digs, and eight blocks. Chaney Barth had 17 kills and Lillian Holden and Reile Payne had 11 kills apiece.
• Ryleigh Sander and Madison Brauner both recorded their first career double-doubles. Sander had 29 assists and 10 digs. Brauner finished with 24 assists and 12 digs.
• Jadore Hayes led OU with 20 digs. Carson Schuman finished with 12 digs and Kennedi Wyrick had 10 digs.
• Kira Cherry finished the match with six blocks.

William Penn University (W 3-0)
How it Happened

• Ottawa had an early 10-7 lead over WPU. Three straight kills by Radaisy Valdez gave OU a 14-10 lead over the Statesmen. WPU tried to rally and cut the Brave lead to 21-19. That would be all the closer William Penn would get to the Braves as Ottawa ended the set on a service ace by Ryleigh Sander, taking the 25-20 victory.
• The Braves started off set two with a 7-2 lead. Kills by Jontara West and Lillian Holden along with two service aces from Carson Schuman increased the OU lead to 12-4. Ottawa held the Statesmen in check for the remainder of the set, taking the 25-14 victory.
• Ottawa had a 7-1 lead at the start of set 3. The Braves took advantage of two Statesmen miscues to increase their lead to 13-6. A kill by Chaney Barth and a WPU attacking error gave the Braves a 17-11 lead. The Statesmen never threatened OU's lead and the Braves took the 25-15 victory.

Inside the Box Score

• The Braves had 40 kills, a .326 attacking percentage, 37 assists, eight service aces, 38 digs, and five team blocks.
• Radaisy Valdez had double digit kills for the third straight match. She finished with 16 kills, a .560 attacking percentage, and three blocks.
• Madison Brauner and Ryleigh Sander had 17 assists apiece.
• Jadore Hayes led the Braves with 12 digs.

Who is Next
Ottawa (3-0) plays no. 16 Indiana Wesleyan University at 9:00 a.m. and nationally ranked John Brown University at 1:00 p.m. on day two of the Hampton Inn Volleyball Classic in Columbia, Mo.