The Wabash volleyball team traveled to Springfield, Ohio, on Sunday to play Hiram College and Wittenberg University in the first North Coast Athletic Conference Showdown. The Little Giants lost to Hiram 3-1 in the opening match before dropping a 3-0 contest to Wittenberg in the finale.
Wabash (2-6), Hiram (6-3), and Wittenberg (6-7) are all members of the NCAC in the majority of sports sponsored by the schools. The conference does not currently sponsor men's volleyball. The three schools are hopeful that other conference schools may add men's volleyball as a varsity sport in the future.
Wabash fell behind 7-0 from the start in the first set against Hiram and was never able to catch up, losing 25-15 in the opener. The Little Giants rebounded in the second set by taking an early 2-1 lead. The teams tied five times before Wabash jumped out in front 17-9 before holding on for a 25-20 victory to even the match score at 1-1.
The Terriers took a 2-1 lead after winning the third set 25-13. Wabash owned a 16-14 lead in the fourth set but Hiram rallied to score the next four points on the way to a 25-21 victory to claim the 3-1 overall win.
Ricky Sessions recorded a team-best 11 kills for Wabash.
Will Beikes picked up a season-best 37 assists.
Luis Rivera picked up 11 digs for the Little Giants.
Wabash trailed early in the first set of its match versus Wittenberg before remaining within a point for most of the closing points. The Tigers pulled away after Wabash tied the score at 21-21 with a 4-0 run to win the first set 25-21.
Wabash scored the first four points of the second set and held a 7-3 lead early in the match. Wittenberg came back to tie the score at 7-7. The two teams tied nine times and traded seven lead changes before the Tigers closed out the set on a 4-2 run to win 25-23.
Wittenberg took the early lead and held it throughout most of the final set. Wabash tied the score at 16-16 and was even at 19-19 before the host Tigers closed out the set with a 6-0 run for the 25-19 win.
Sessions scored a team-best nine kills and nine digs against Wittenberg. Beikes gave out 26 assists.
Wabash will return to Chadwick Court to play Mount St. Joseph University on Friday, February 18, at 7 p.m.
