AMES, Iowa – Drake volleyball (6-4) started their final invitational tournament of the season with a marathon victory over Ohio (5-5). The Bulldogs battled back after dropping a length opening set to earn their fifth-straight victory.
Drake was able to build a 16-10 lead in the opening period before the Bobcats rallied to tie the score. The Bulldogs sprinted back out to a 24-20 lead, just one score from securing the set win, but were halted by another clutch Ohio rally as the Bobcats took a 25-24 lead. The two teams traded extra points until a 3-0 Bobcat run ended the set, 31-29.
The Bulldogs proceeded to win the next two sets by identical 25-20 scores. Drake came back from an early deficit in both the second and third stanza as
Haley Bush delivered the final scores in both.
Ohio needed a win and got it in the fourth set with a 25-20 result of their own. Drake led 8-4 in the early stages of the fourth frame, but the Bobcats used a late 4-0 spurt to pull away and force a fifth set.
The final set started quickly for the Bulldogs as they forced three Bobcat errors and scored on a pair of kills to take an early 5-2 advantage. Ohio was able to stay within striking distance but could not chase down an efficient Drake offense as the Bulldogs secured the 15-10 set win a 3-2 match victory.
Reigning MVC Player of the Week
Taylor Oberpriller led all players with a season-high 26 kills while adding seven blocks on the defensive side of the net. Bush and
Macy Daufeldt each had all-around nights with double digit kills and digs. Star setter
Addison Beagle also posted a season-high with 62 assists. Defensively,
Kacie Rewerts posted eight blocks.
"We came out really strong in the first set and looked like we might roll," Drake head coach Darrin McBroom said. "We stalled and they came back. Then we managed to come back in the second and third set…we turned it on and looked pretty good in the third set. Ohio is a good team, and we knew we could get tested tonight and we did…but we played our best when we needed to."
Drake will continue play at the Cardinal & Gold Challenge with a Friday afternoon match against UCSB. The Bulldogs and Gauchos will square off tomorrow at 4 p.m.
