BEREA, OHIO -- The 21st-ranked Baldwin-Wallace College volleyball team suffered a pair of early-season setbacks yesterday (Friday, Aug. 29) in the first day of competition at the College of Mt. St. Joseph Invitational Tournament in Cincinnati.
The Yellow Jackets lost a close first match of the day to Ohio Athletic Conference rival and 12th-ranked Ohio Northern University, 3-1, and then were beaten by Thomas More (Ky.) College in the nightcap, 3-2. Today (Saturday, Aug. 30), B-W plays Savannah (Ga.) College of Art and Design in its final match in pool play before moving onto the playoff round at 2:00 p.m. In the playoff round, if B-W beats SCAD, it will play Depauw (Ind.). If B-W loses to SCAD, it will play Buffalo State (N.Y.) College.
Despite losing to ONU, Baldwin-Wallace took the Polar Bears to the limit. ONU won the match by the scores of 30-23, 30-28, 28-30 and 30-28. Despite the loss, senior three-time All-OAC and two-time All-Great Lakes Region middle hitter Cassie Palmer (Greenwich/ South Central) led the team with 22 kills and tied for the team-high with five blocks. Senior two-time All-OAC and 2002 All-Great Lakes Region outside hitter Emily Bowen (Tiffin Columbian) was second with 18 kills, tied Palmer for the most blocks with five and added a team-high 30 defensive digs. Senior All-OAC setter Kerry Helm (Luckey/ Eastwood) had the most set assists with 43 and was second with 29 digs.
In the nightcap, B-W lost to Thomas More (Ky.) in another close five-set match, 30-22, 21-30, 30-26, 21-30, 15-12. Palmer again led the Yellow Jackets with 21 kills and Bowen was second with 13 kills and 18 digs. Helm topped the squad in both set assists with 37 and digs with 24. In addition and another bright spot was the play of freshman libero Kim Stoll (Norwalk/ St. Paul), who had 40 digs in her first two collegiate matches.
Following play today at Mt. St. Joseph, the Yellow Jackets return home to Berea and begin preparations for next week's eight-team Marcia French Memorial Tournament at the B-W Recreation Center. For more information on that tourney, please call Head Coach Vicki Brault at (440) 826-3254 or e-mail her at vbrault@bw.edu.
FOR MORE B-W SPORTS INFORMATION, please contact the B-W Sports Information Office by telephone at (440) 826-2327, by FAX at (440) 826-2329 or e-mail SID Kevin Ruple at kruple@bw.edu.
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