HASTINGS, Neb. – The Ottawa University women's volleyball team opened the 2025 season with a hard-fought five-set battle at Hastings College, ultimately falling 3-2 (25-20, 22-25, 20-25, 25-15, 15-13) inside Lynn Farrell Arena.

The Braves (0-1) rallied after dropping the first set, taking sets two and three behind a balanced offensive attack. However, Hastings (2-3) responded with a dominant fourth set and edged out the deciding fifth to secure the win.

Offensively, Samantha Stahl paced Ottawa with a team-high 12 kills, while Kira Cherry added 11 kills and Campbell Stark posted an efficient .455 hitting percentage with 10 kills. Bailee Nickel chipped in 8 kills, and Brittan Lee provided a spark with 4.

Setter Madison Brauner directed the offense with 23 assists, while Madison Holcomb added 18. Defensively, libero Carson Schuman anchored the back row with 22 digs, and Stahl contributed 16 digs. At the net, the Braves tallied 9 total team blocks, led by Stark (4) and Alexia Maynes (2 solo, 2 block assists).

Ottawa (0-1) is back in action on Saturday, August 23 in Hastings against College of Saint Mary. The match is scheduled to begin at 3:00 p.m.