HIRAM, Ohio – After sweeping Frostburg State University on Friday, the Kenyon Ladies volleyball team came back on Saturday and played a pair of five-set matches against Kalamazoo College and John Carroll University. Kenyon came back to defeat the Hornets before falling in the fifth set against the Blue Streaks.
 
The results moved the Ladies' record to 9-2 this season.
 
Kalamazoo won the first two sets against Kenyon in the morning before the Ladies roared back.
 
Down 2-0, Kenyon got its comeback going with a 7-2 start in the third set after a kill from Maleah Miller. Later, Haley Witschey doubled up the Ladies' lead, 14-7, with a kill. Witschey tallied four kills during the set while senior Delaney Swanson totaled five as Kenyon prevailed 25-17.
 
In the fourth, Kenyon had four different players record at least three kills while its defense held the Hornets to a .000 attack percentage. The Ladies trailed 15-14 but followed with a 10-1 run to seize command. Kalamazoo aided the run with five errors while Kenyon added a few blocks to go up 24-16. A Miller kill closed the set and tied the match up 2-2.
 
Then in the fifth, needing 15 points to win, Kenyon scored four of the last five points to prevail 15-11. Elyse Davidson, Mackenzie Bruzzio and Witschey all tallied kills in those final moments to lift Kenyon to victory.
 
During the afternoon match against John Carroll, the Ladies and Blue Streaks each split the first four sets before JCU won 15-10 in the fifth.
 
Sarah Calabrese and Cassi Calamunci led JCU with 24 kills a piece as JCU hit .318 as a team, the highest mark given up by Kenyon this season.
 
Down a set, the Ladies knotted things up in the second with a 28-26 win. The Ladies were up 19-15 after a Blue Streaks error, however, John Carroll fought back to take a 24-23 lead after a Calabrese kill. Kenyon denied JCU a chance to clinch a 2-0 match lead on a couple of occasions before kills from Witschey and Swanson won the set, 28-26, for Kenyon.  
 
John Carroll then went up 2-1 after a 27-25 third-set win. The Ladies led 24-18 but could not close the deal as the Blue Streaks scored nine of the next 10 points to shock Kenyon in the third. Once again, though, Kenyon pushed through to tie the match.
 
In the fourth, Bruzzio and Swanson combined for nine kills as Kenyon hit .324 as opposed to a .079 mark from JCU. Competition was very close but after a Katie Howard ace that moved the Ladies in front 6-5, Kenyon never lost the lead. There were a couple ties, however, the Ladies responded with a few points to get back in front and later won 25-16.
 
Looking to win in the fifth set for the second straight match, the Ladies weren't able to as JCU got out to a 6-1 lead and later won 15-10. The Blue Streaks hit .409 as Calamunci recorded five kills.
 
Kenyon will look to keep its early-season momentum going on September 19 when it hosts No. 20 Ohio Northern University (9-3) at Tomsich Arena at 7 p.m.