OTTAWA, Kan. — The Ottawa University women's volleyball team dropped a competitive three-set match to Sterling College on Saturday afternoon inside Wilson Field House. The Braves battled closely in each frame but ultimately fell 25-23, 25-18, 25-23.

Set One: Sterling 25, Ottawa 23
Ottawa and Sterling went point-for-point early, with kills from Hollie Peters, Bailee Nickel, and Campbell Stark keeping the Braves even at 7–7. Sterling pulled ahead 11–7 behind consecutive aces from Brooklyn Kuster, but Ottawa responded with a 5–1 run that included kills from Nickel, Brittan Lee, and Lillian Holden to tie the set at 17.

A service ace by Madison Brauner gave the Braves their first lead at 18–17, but Sterling finished strong, winning the final four points—including a service ace from Chloe Schmidt—to take the set 25–23. Set Two: Sterling 25, Ottawa 18
Ottawa started strong again, taking an early 9–6 lead after back-to-back aces from Madison Cecil and a block from Lillian Holden. Sterling answered with a 7–0 surge highlighted by Aliya McClanahan's front-row presence and a pair of kills from Kodie Herd, putting the Warriors ahead 13–9.

The Braves couldn't recover despite late kills from Peters and Samantha Stahl, as Sterling closed the set 25–18 with a service ace from Keala Wilson. Set Three: Sterling 25, Ottawa 23
The Braves came out firing in the third, jumping ahead 8–4 thanks to strong net play from Holden, Cherry, and Stark, who combined for three early blocks. Ottawa maintained the edge until mid-set when Sterling clawed back with kills from Maddie Lundeen and Kodie Herd to even the score at 13–13.

The Braves pushed ahead 19–15 after a kill from Campbell Stark, but Sterling mounted a late 10–4 run, capped by consecutive kills from Herd to secure the 25–23 clincher. Team Leaders

• Kills: Hollie Peters – 9
• Assists: Madison Brauner – 14
• Digs: Brenna Diller – 14
• Blocks: Campbell Stark – 6 total (2 solo, 4 assists)
• Aces: Brauner and Holcomb – 1 each

Sterling hit .217 as a team behind Kodie Herd's 13 kills, while Ottawa posted .137 with 37 total kills.
Who is Next
Ottawa (9-12, 6-5) returns to the court on Wednesday, Nov. 5 in Wilson Field House against the University of Saint Mary. The match is scheduled to begin at 7:00 p.m.