SPRINGFIELD, Ohio – The Kenyon Ladies' hopes of advancing out of the quarterfinal round of the North Coast Athletic Volleyball Tournament were dashed on Friday afternoon as Denison University rebounded from a set-one loss and claimed the next three games to defeat Kenyon.
 
In the process, the Big Red became the first sixth seed to knock off a third-seeded team since the conference went to an eight-team format in 2012.
 
Delaney Swanson had a match-high 17 kills to go along with 17 digs. Additionally, Jensen Shurbert dished out a match-high 40 assists and added 20 digs while Alexi Donnelly and Mackenzie Bruzzio each tallied 13 kills. Junior Rachael Thorson also chipped in with 17 digs.
 
In the first set, the Ladies (16-12) had plenty of energy and momentum early on as they went up 9-5 following an attack error. Denison responded though with five points in a row to take its first lead, 10-9. Following that Big Red spurt, Swanson helped the Ladies as she tallied four straight kills putting Kenyon back up 14-11. Denison didn't come back after that as the Ladies won the opening stanza 25-21.
 
Set two turned out to be extremely entertaining as both teams had big runs throughout.
 
The Ladies reeled off a 5-0 run with Swanson and Bruzzio tallying a couple kills giving the lead to Kenyon, 15-14. The Big Red followed and went back up 19-15 after a block from Isabella Pivac and Leah Reinfranck. It was 22-17 Denison a few sequences later before Kenyon fought back again. A 6-1 run tied the set at 23 but Denison later prevailed 26-24 with two kills from Alex Tubbs.
 
Kenyon was down 18-17 in the third after Ashley Martens rang up a kill. Denison held the lead though until the Ladies nearly rallied in the end. Down 23-19, the Ladies pulled to within one (24-23) after a Big Red error. But the final point came to Pivec on a kill pushing Denison to a 2-1 match lead.
 
Needing to win the fourth to push the match to another set, Kenyon was held back by Denison. A Bruzzio kill, her 11th of the match, pulled the set to 12-11 Denison, but the Big Red followed with a 9-1 run. Down 21-12, Kenyon got the set to 21-18 after an error, but that was the closest they got the rest of the way.
 
The Ladies will next play the loser of the DePauw University and College of Wooster match tomorrow morning at 10 a.m. in the consolation semifinals.