NEW CONCORD, Ohio – Muskingum University (15-2) had good marks on both the offensive and defensive fronts as it earned a three-set victory against Kenyon College (3-12) on Thursday night in a non-conference volleyball match.
 
The Fighting Muskies hit .308 while holding the Ladies to a .149 attack percentage.
 
Within the opening minutes of set one, the Fighting Muskies had blitzed Kenyon to the tune of a 9-0 advantage following a service ace from Jessica Cottle. That fast start propelled Muskingum to a 25-11 victory. Kaitlin Noble had four kills and as a team, Muskingum hit .364. Alternatively, the Ladies were held to a -.097 attack mark.
 
Second-set action was tight until a late run moved Muskingum's set advantage to 2-0.
 
Early, the Ladies held a 5-1 lead after Haley Witschey and Elyse Davidson teamed up to force an error by Muskingum. A few sequences later, Mackenzie Bruzzio finished off a set from Meghan Cason to move Kenyon ahead, 10-8. Following that point, the home team scored three straight, sparking a back and forth. Over the next few moments, there were four ties. Then, the Fighting Muskies reeled off three in a row to take a 20-17 advantage. They eventually won 25-21.
 
Competition remained close in the third. A block assist from Brynn Guist and Alexis Hall pushed Muskingum up 6-1 before a Brooke Fatheree kill extended the advantage to 14-8. The Ladies rallied after that, as kills from Bruzzio and Lauren Limbach inched Kenyon to a one-point deficit, 19-18. Kenyon did take a 22-21 lead after a Maleah Miller kill, but Muskingum closed the match scoring four of the next five which included a game-ending ace from Fatheree.
 
On Saturday, the Ladies will return home to face Allegheny College for an NCAC match-up starting at 3 p.m. It will be Senior Day for the program.