Muskingum Volleyball secures a spot in the OAC Tournament Finals for the 1st time since 2006

The Muskingum volleyball team claimed a thrilling 3-2 (23-25, 25-20, 25-19, 12-25, 16-14) victory over the Otterbein Cardinals in the second round of the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) Tournament on Thursday night in the Rike Center in front of a Muskie dominate fan base.  

The Basics
• Record: Muskingum (25-6 overall, 7-2 in the OAC)
• Location: Westerville, Ohio – Rike Center
• Game Duration: 2:03 
• Attendance: 428

Notables 
• With the win, the Muskies advance to the Finals of the OAC Tournament for the first time since 2006.
• The three-seed Muskies next play at first-seed Ohio Northern on Saturday, November 3, at 2:00 p.m. in the Finals of the OAC Tournament. The winner would receive an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. 

How It Happened
• Muskingum fell in set one (23-25), secured set two (25-20) and three (25-19), fell in set four (12-25), and locked in set five (16-14).
• The Muskies were led by sophomore Brooke Fatheree who registered 28 kills, 21 digs, 30 points.
• Sophomore Brynn Guist added 17 kills.
• Sophomore Erin Dickson recorded a team-best 53 assists.
• The backline was anchored by sophomore Jessica Cottle who logged 22 digs.
• As a team, the Muskies secured 68 kills, 62 assists, and 109 digs.

Inside The Sets
• In the fifth and final set, the Cardinals advanced past the Muskies with a score of 6-3. The Muskies recorded a ferocious 4-1 run to tie up play 7-7. The thrilling set remained tight until the Muskies were able to fend off the Cardinals with two straight points to claim the 16-14 Semifinal victory.
• In set one, the Muskies and Cardinals fought neck and neck with neither team claiming more than a two-point lead early on. Otterbein registered back-to-back points to put them ahead 15-11. The Muskies fought to trim the deficit but the Cardinals secured the final point to take the set.
• The Muskies took control of the second set early on with a score of 12-6. The Cardinals answered back with a five-point attack to put them behind 12-13. The Muskies regained control after a Muskingum timeout and a kill by Fatheree locked in the 25-20 victory for the Muskies.
• In set three, the Muskies came out hot and took an early lead of 12-7. The Cardinals fought hard to close the gap but the Muskies could not be stopped. Muskingum recorded the final two points to notch the 25-19 win.
• In set four, the Cardinals slid past the Muskies with a score of 12-8. An 8-1 run expanded the lead 20-9. A kill by A. King Mendenhall captured the set for the Cardinals.