SPRINGFIELD, Ohio – Kenyon College finished up in fifth place at the North Coast Athletic Conference Volleyball Tournament today after notching a pair of straight set wins over Oberlin College and Denison University. The Ladies, who fell to the two aforementioned schools during the regular reason, moved their final record to 15-13 which is their first winning season since 1990.
 
MATCH ONE
 
The day started at 10 a.m. for Kenyon who won by scores of 25-22, 25-16 and 25-22 against the Yeowomen.
 
Delaney Swanson registered a kill to tie the first set at 11 and after an Oberlin error on the next sequence, Kenyon held a lead they didn't relinquish the rest of the way. The Ladies went up their biggest margin (17-13) following a Schuyler Stupica and Jensen Shurbert block assist and eventually prevailed 25-22. 
 
Set two started well for the team from Gambier as they jumped out to a 12-6 lead following Shurbert kill. The Ladies continued their solid play and went up double-digits (21-11) after another Swanson kill. Oberlin followed with four straight points but couldn't get any closer as Kenyon won 25-16.
 
Kenyon closed out the match in the third. Second-year coach Amanda Krampf's squad started well again as they attained an 11-6 lead on a kill from Tierney McClure. The Ladies found themselves up eight (22-14) later in the set before the Yeomen nearly came back. An 8-2 run by Oberlin capped off by a Ladies attack error narrowed the score to 24-22, but the Ladies got an error on the next play and held on by three.
 
MATCH TWO
 
Early in the regular season, Denison had no trouble against Kenyon. This time around was completely different.
 
The Ladies won 25-16, 25-23 and 25-17 en route to a fifth-place finish at the NCAC tourney.
 
In the first set, the Big Red held a slim 7-6 lead after Rachele Lock delivered a kill. Kenyon followed with four straight points to take a three-point advantage (10-7) and they held that lead the rest of the way. Denison made it interesting when they cut the deficit to one (17-16) after a Brittany Perry kill. But after that, Kenyon reeled off eight straight points to take the opening set.
 
Things were much closer in set two. Denison had a couple five-point leads including a 17-12 hold on the Ladies after a Kenzie Kuhn kill. But Kenyon would rally. They tied the set at 19 after an error and later tied the set at 21 following an Ashley Martens service ace. The Ladies went ahead 24-23 as Swanson and Lauren Kerr teamed up for a block assist. Set two ended on a Denison erro.
 
Exactly like earlier in the day against Oberlin, Kenyon sealed the deal in set three. Aside from a 6-6 tie score early in the set, the Ladies held a lead throughout. McClure's ace gave Kenyon its biggest lead (20-11) and Swanson's kill at the end secured victory.
 
At game's end, Swanson was named as the NCAC's Newcomer of the Year and Second-Team selection while Shurbert garnered All-Conference Honorable Mention accolades.