OTTAWA, Kan. - Behind a balanced attack and a dominant fourth-set surge, the Ottawa University men's volleyball team defended its home court Friday night with a 3-1 victory over Clarke University at the Mabee Center (25-19, 25-21, 21-25, 25-21).
 
Match Summary
The Braves came out sharp and never let the visitors settle in for long. After fending off early pushes in the first two sets, Ottawa slammed the door with poise.
Ottawa finished the night hitting .283 as a team, out-digging Clarke 54-35 and committing just 10 service errors to Clarke's 23. By the Numbers

• Team Hitting Percentage:
  • Ottawa: .283 (55K–21E–120TA)
  • Clarke: .268 (50K–16E–127TA)
• Fourth Set Statement:
  • Ottawa hit .433 (16K–3E–30TA)
• Assists:
  • Quentin Le Dortz (OU): 47
  • Benjamin Reiser (Clarke): 45
• Digs:
  • Leo Betin (OU): 21
  • Marko Zolnjan (OU): 11
• Blocks (Team):
  • Ottawa: 6 total blocks
  • Clarke: 20 block assists (kept it competitive at the net)
• Service Edge:
  • Ottawa: 1 ace, 10 errors
  • Clarke: 2 aces, 23 errors

Ottawa Standouts

• Kadeem Morris – 8 kills on .727 hitting, 2 block assists
• Marko Zolnjan – 12 kills, 13.5 points, clutch swings late
• Macort Pickup – 12 kills,
• Horia Filpisan – 10 kills off the bench,
• Quentin Le Dortz – 47 assists

Set-by-Set Recap
Set 1 – Ottawa 25, Clarke 19
Ottawa weathered an early back-and-forth battle before a mid-set surge put the Braves ahead for good. Morris and Zolnjan powered a late run, and Ottawa capitalized on Clarke service miscues to close comfortably.
Set 2 – Ottawa 25, Clarke 21
Clarke jumped out early, but Ottawa responded with defensive pressure and transition kills. Pickup and Morris combined for critical points down the stretch as the Braves flipped a 10-12 deficit into control mode.
Set 3 – Clarke 25, Ottawa 21
Clarke tightened up defensively and limited Ottawa to .103 hitting in the frame. The visitors strung together key blocks and rode the momentum to extend the match.
Set 4 – Ottawa 25, Clarke 21
The Braves answered emphatically. Ottawa hit .433 in the set, spreading the ball effectively and finishing rallies cleanly. After a 20-20 tie, Ottawa scored five of the final six points, with Morris and Pickup delivering the knockout blows.

Who is Next
Ottawa (9-3, 4-1) returns to the court on Saturday, Feb. 21 against no. 14 Mount Mercy University in the Mabee Center. The match is scheduled to begin at 12:00 p.m.