OWENSBORO, Ky. – Volleyball (3-7, 0-2 G-MAC) lost to Ashland (7-1, 2-0 G-MAC) in three sets Saturday afternoon. The Panthers were led by
Hadley Wolfe with five kills, while
Emmy Goering added four kills and
Mackenzie Bristol finished with three blocks.
Grace Lewis recorded 15 assists and seven digs, while
Sophie Spanier led the Panthers defensively with 13 digs.
Ashland 3-0 Kentucky Wesleyan (25-11, 25-17, 25-16)
SET ONE: Ashland 25-11 Kentucky Wesleyan
Ashland jumped out to an early 5-1 lead before the Panthers began to settle in. Kentucky Wesleyan pulled within one at 6-5 after back-to-back kills from Wolfe, then tied the set at 7-7 following a service ace from Goering. The Eagles responded with a strong run, however, scoring eight straight points to build a 15-9 advantage. Ashland continued to pull away late, closing the opening set 25-11.
SET TWO: Ashland 25-17 Kentucky Wesleyan
The Panthers took an early 2-1 lead in the second set and later held a 3-2 advantage following a kill from Goering. Ashland answered with four straight points to take a 6-3 lead, but Kentucky Wesleyan battled back to tie the set at 7-7. The teams remained close through the middle portion, with the Panthers tying the score again at 12-12 after a service ace from Lewis. Ashland regained control with a 5-1 run to take an 18-13 lead and eventually finished the set 25-17.
SET THREE: Ashland 25-22 Kentucky Wesleyan
Ashland opened the third set with five consecutive points and extended its advantage to 8-1 before Kentucky Wesleyan began to chip away. The Panthers cut the deficit to 8-3 and later pulled within four at 10-6, but the Eagles responded with another extended run to take an 18-7 lead. Kentucky Wesleyan battled back late, using a 5-0 run to cut the deficit to 23-16, highlighted by a kill from Bristol and a pair of Ashland errors. The Eagles answered with the final two points to close out the match 25-16.
UP NEXT
Kentucky Wesleyan volleyball hosts Cedarville (4-5, 2-0) on Friday, September 18th at the Woodward Health and Recreation Center. First serve is set for 6 p.m. CT.
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