BARTLESVILLE, Okla. – The Ottawa University Braves battled but ultimately fell in straight sets to No. 9-ranked Oklahoma Wesleyan University, 25-21, 25-18, 25-23.
OU pushed the Eagles in every frame, highlighted by a late third-set rally, but OKWU held strong behind a balanced offensive attack.
Set One
Ottawa opened strong, trading points early with kills from
Brenna Diller and
Lillian Holden. The Braves trailed just 13-11 after Holden added another kill, but Oklahoma Wesleyan strung together a run behind Maia Rubio and Maria Santa Cruz Cossich to extend their lead. Ottawa fought back within 23-21 after a kill from
Hollie Peters, but the Eagles closed the set on a Rubio finish, 25-21.
Set Two
The Braves again started well, pulling even at 4-4 after back-to-back kills from
Campbell Stark. However, OKWU's Evelyn Rohrberg took over, notching multiple kills as part of a 7-2 Eagle run. Ottawa tried to respond with swings from
Bailee Nickel and
Kira Cherry, but Oklahoma Wesleyan controlled the pace and took the frame 25-18.
Set Three
Ottawa surged to an early 13-6 lead thanks to strong blocking from Holden, Cherry, and Nickel, who combined to frustrate the Eagles' hitters. After a timeout, OKWU responded, rallying behind Rohrberg and Rubio to erase the deficit. The Braves continued to push, tying the score late at 21-21 after a kill by
Samantha Stahl. However, OKWU sealed the sweep with a final kill from Rohrberg, 25-23.
By the Numbers
- Ottawa University hit .140 as a team, led by Bailee Nickel (8 kills, .318), Holden (6 kills, .267), and Cherry (5 kills, 3 blocks).
- Carson Schuman anchored the defense with 14 digs, while Madison Brauner distributed 12 assists.
- The Braves tallied 12 block assists, with Stark and Holden chipping in 4 and 2 respectively.
- Oklahoma Wesleyan finished with 52 kills, paced by Rohrberg's 17 kills and Rubio's 14 kills on .406 hitting. Setter Sydney Collins dished out 43 assists and added 10 digs for a double-double.
Who is Next
Ottawa (3-8) returns to the court on Saturday, September 27 in Hillsboro, Kan. against Tabor College. The match is scheduled to begin at 1:00 p.m.