PARKVILLE, Mo. — Ottawa University men's volleyball responded with poise and balance on Friday afternoon, bouncing back after dropping the opening set to earn a 3–1 victory over Goshen College at Park University.

Set 1 – Goshen 25, Ottawa 23
Goshen jumped out early behind strong serving and early termination at the net, building a 15–9 advantage that forced an Ottawa timeout. The Braves chipped away late with kills from Marko Zolnjan and Macort Pickup, trimming the deficit to 23–22. However, Goshen closed the frame with a block at set point to take the opening set, 25–23.
Set 2 – Ottawa 25, Goshen 15
Ottawa quickly flipped the momentum in the second set. Petar Lazic sparked the run with a service ace, and the Braves followed with kills from Damitrae Ellis and Zolnjan to pull ahead 10–6. Ottawa controlled the middle of the set, extending the lead to 17–12 after back-to-back points from Zolnjan. The Braves closed the set on an 8–3 run, capped by an Ellis kill, to even the match at one set apiece.
Set 3 – Ottawa 25, Goshen 19
The third set opened tightly, but Ottawa found separation midway through behind strong defense and transition offense. Kills from Pickup and Zolnjan pushed the Braves ahead 9–6, and Ottawa never relinquished the lead. The Braves used a balanced attack and improved blocking to stretch the margin to 20–16 before Lazic finished the set with a late kill to give Ottawa a 2–1 advantage.
Set 4 – Ottawa 25, Goshen 18
Ottawa carried its momentum into the fourth set, opening with early points from Zolnjan and Lazic to take a 6–3 lead. The Braves continued to apply pressure from the service line and controlled the net defensively. A late 5–1 run pushed the score to 20–15, and Ottawa closed out the match on a Lazic kill, securing the 25–18 set win and the 3–1 victory. Game Stats Breakdown
Team Stats

• Attack %: Ottawa .302 | Goshen .146
• Kills: Ottawa 57 | Goshen 35
• Assists: Ottawa 53 | Goshen 35
• Service Aces: Ottawa 4 | Goshen 4
• Digs: Ottawa 62 | Goshen 42
• Blocks: Ottawa 8 | Goshen 12

Ottawa Individual Leaders

• Kills:
  • Petar Lazic – 16
  • Marko Zolnjan – 15
  • Macort Pickup – 13
• Hitting Percentage:
  • Damitrae Ellis – .545
  • Andrew Ely – .750
• Assists:
  • Quentin Le Dortz – 48
• Digs:
  • Leo Betin – 21
  • Petar Lazic – 11
• Blocks:
  • Kadeem Morris – 3 total blocks
  • Marko Zolnjan – 3 total blocks

Who is Next
Ottawa (2-0) returns to the court on Saturday, January 31 at home against Oakland City University. The match is scheduled to begin at 1:00 p.m.