CRAWFORDSVILLE, Ind. — Wabash battled back from an early deficit and twice seized control of the match, but Westminster (Mo.) claimed the final two points of a tightly contested fifth set Sunday afternoon to hand the Little Giants a 3-2 loss at Chadwick Court.
The Blue Jays claimed the nonconference match by set scores of 25-19, 13-25, 21-25, 25-23, 15-13 in a contest that featured 26 tie scores and six lead changes over five sets.
Wabash (2-4) nearly erased a late deficit in the fourth set and rallied from a five-point hole in the fifth before Westminster (13-4) secured the final two points to close out the victory.
The Blue Jays controlled the opening set behind a .560 hitting percentage, recording 16 kills with only two errors. After the score was tied 16-16, Westminster closed on a 9-3 run, fueled by consecutive kills from Derrick Turner and Charlie Haas, to take a 25-19 win.
Wabash responded emphatically in the second set. Trailing 6-4, the Little Giants strung together a 9-3 surge sparked by kills from Shad Wilson and Zev Wolverton and a Bawibawi Thang service ace to build a 13-7 advantage. Wabash hit .391 in the frame with 12 kills against three errors and capped the set on a block by Thang to even the match at 1-1.
The Little Giants carried that momentum into the third set. After falling behind 5-2, Wabash answered with a 6-1 run, highlighted by a Wolverton ace and multiple Thang kills, to seize control. Wabash extended the margin to 20-15 and closed out a 25-21 victory behind 14 kills and a .360 attack percentage in the set.
Westminster answered in the fourth. The Blue Jays built an early 8-3 lead behind the serving of Brady Sickles, who added a service ace during the stretch. Wabash chipped away and tied the set at 23-23 after a service ace from Graham Volk capped a 4-1 run. However, a Haas kill and a Sickles service ace ended the set 25-23, forcing a decisive fifth.
In the final set, Westminster raced to a 10-5 lead behind four early kills from Turner. Wabash rallied with a 5-1 run, including a Matthew Stitle service ace and a Wilson kill, to cut the deficit to 11-10. The teams traded points down the stretch before a Turner kill gave the Blue Jays match point at 14-13. A Wilson service error sealed the 15-13 decision.
The Little Giants finished with 53 kills and a .284 attack percentage, while Westminster countered with 56 kills and a .289 hitting mark. Wabash owned the edge at the net with 12 team blocks compared to eight for the Blue Jays.
Thang led Wabash with 16 kills and hit .333, adding two block assists and 22 digs. Wolverton contributed 13 kills on a .385 clip with three service aces and five total blocks. Wilson added 15 kills and hit .300, while Stitle directed the offense with 49 assists.
Westminster's Turner proved decisive with 22 kills on .385 hitting, including seven in the fifth set. Sickles added 10 kills, and Haas chipped in seven.
Wabash posted 38 digs and eight service aces in the match while holding Westminster to a .192 hitting percentage in the fourth set and limiting the Blue Jays to .111 in the second. The Little Giants also hit .360 in the third set during their strongest stretch of the afternoon.
Wabash opens Midwest Collegiate Volleyball League play Feb. 20 with a road match at the University of Olivet.
