Volleyball advances to OAC Tournament semifinals with win over ONU

The Muskingum volleyball team traveled to Ohio Northern and defeated the Polar Bears 3-1 to advance to the OAC Tournament semifinals. The Muskies will battle John Carroll on Thursday at 7:00 p.m. for a spot in the OAC Championship.

The Basics

• Records: Muskingum (18-7 Overall), Ohio Northern (16-10 Overall)
• Location: ONU Sports Center – Ada, Ohio
• Attendance: 346

OAC Tournament

• Muskingum entered the contest as the six-seed in the OAC Tournament, while Ohio Northern entered as the three-seed.
• With the win, Muskingum will travel to take on two-seed John Carroll on Thursday, November 3, in the OAC Tournament semifinals. The winner of Thursday's match will advance to the OAC Tournament Championship.
• On the other side of the bracket, Otterbein and Marietta will face off on Thursday as well for the final spot in the championship game.

Notables

• The victory over the Polar Bears marked Muskingum's first win at Ohio Northern in OAC Tournament history.
• Muskingum posted a 2-0 mark against Ohio Northern this season.
• Muskingum has now advanced to the OAC Tournament semifinals for the fifth straight season.
• Senior Emma Conrad recorded career-highs in assists with 53 and in digs with 26 to help propel Muskingum to the victory.

How it Happened

• Muskingum kickstarted their night by jumping out to a 13-10 lead early in the first set.
• Building off their early momentum, the Muskies extended their lead to 19-14 in the closing stages of set one.
• Muskingum finished off the opening frame, winning the set 25-18 to take the early advantage in the match.
• In set two, it was Ohio Northern capturing the early momentum as the Polar Bears built a quick 7-1 lead.
• However, their lead didn't last long as Muskingum used a 9-3 run to tie the score at 10 apiece.
• Despite Ohio Northern holding a slim lead for the majority of the set, Muskingum battled back to tie the score once again at 22 all.
• Ultimately, the Polar Bears would hang on for a slim 31-29 win in the second set after both teams traded points back and forth down the stretch.
• In the third set, both teams traded points until the score was tied at 9-9.
• Muskingum then went on an 11-5 run to build a 20-14 lead over the Polar Bears.
• Despite a furious rally late by Ohio Northern, the Muskies leaned on clutch plays down the stretch to take a crucial 25-23 win in the third set.
• In the fourth set, both teams played evenly until the score was tied at 16-16.
• Ohio Northern captured a slim 20-18 lead, but it was short-lived as the Muskies used an 8-3 run to close out the frame and win the set 26-24.

Inside the Numbers

• The Muskies were led by senior Emma Conrad who turned in a career-best performance. Conrad tallied career-highs in assists with 53 and in digs with 26, while she also added six kills and one block.
• Junior Khloe Taylor registered a team-high 17 kills for the Muskies, while junior Lexie Huck added 12 kills and 20 digs.
• Senior Emma Dunham finished with 15 kills and six digs, while junior Raegan Flood also got into double digits with 11 kills.
• Senior Gracie Collins registered 17 digs for Muskingum, while freshman Alana Alexander added chipped in 15 digs.
• Freshman Emma Johnson added six kills for the Muskies, while sophomore Grace Pedersen finished with nine digs.
• Ohio Northern was led by Erin Wagner with 20 kills, and Gracie Conrad with 49 assists.
• As a team, Muskingum totaled 67 kills, 64 assists, 108 digs, 10 blocks, and seven service aces.

Up Next

• Muskingum will be back in action on Thursday, November 3, when they travel to John Carroll for the OAC Tournament semifinals. The match is set for a 7:00 p.m. start time from University Heights, Ohio.