GAMBIER, Ohio -- The Kenyon College volleyball team took early leads in their first two home sets, but they could not maintain their momentum as they fell 3-0 to Bluffton University 25-22, 25-20, and 27-25.

Kenyon out-hit Bluffton in two of the three sets, but neither team was efficient as the Owls hit .110 and the Beavers hit .135. Kenyon was only outscored by 10 points across the three sets, and Bluffton's 9-4 advantage in service aces contributed to the decisive differential as the teams were close in every other statistical category.

The Owls came out swinging in their first home match of the season and took an early 2-0 lead thanks to consecutive kills from Macy Reimbold. However, the Beavers battled back with a 12-6 run to put Kenyon behind midway through the first set. The home team responded as Joy Carstanjen subbed in to serve and helped the Owls claim three straight points to tie the match. Kenyon fought back from down 23-19 to pull within two late, but the visitors claimed a 25-22 win in set one.

Kenyon took a 3-0 advantage in set two before doubling Bluffton's score at 8-4. The visitors clawed back to tie the score at 14-14, but a Paige Milhon kill and an Ellie Luciani ace sandwiched a pair of Bluffton errors to give Kenyon an 18-14 lead. However, the Beavers bounced back and took 11 of the next 13 points, including three blocks, to flip the script and win 25-20 after closing the 11-2 run with a pair of aces to clinch the second set.

The Beavers were the early aggressors in the third set as they jumped out to a 5-1 lead and forced an early Kenyon timeout. The Owls turned the tide with an 11-6 push to snare a 12-11 lead and evoke a Bluffton timeout. Kenyon held a 22-20 edge late in the set, but the Beavers took a 23-22 lead thanks to a kill, an error, and an ace. The home team tied the game at 23 points apiece, and neither team could pull away as the score remained tied at 25 all. Despite Kenyon's fight, the Beavers put the game on ice with back-to-back kills to clinch the set 27-25 and secure the 3-0 win.

Reimbold and Milhon led the way for Kenyon offensively. Reimbold recorded a match-high 12 kills while adding seven digs, though she only hit .062 on 44 attacks thanks to nine errors. Milhon hit her mark with a game-high .438 attack percentage, notching nine kills in 16 attempts while bolstering the Owls' defense with two blocks.

A trio of Owls added double-digit digs as Jac Cousineau, Elizabeth Sonza, and Luciani finished with 17, 14, and 10, respectively. Cousineau dished out a match-high 22 assists for a double-double. Kathryn McCaffrey was efficient in limited attempts, hitting .308 with five kills.

The Beavers were led by Jenna Woods, who notched nine kills and hit .389, and Chloei Barnett, who added nine kills despite hitting .086 with six errors on 35 attacks. Mackenzie Jones' 18 digs were a match-high for Bluffton, and Maddie White led the visitors with 13 assists while contributing five kills and five digs.

Up next, the Owls hit the road and head to Olivet, Michigan to play a pair of games in the NCAC / MIAA Crossover on Saturday, Sep. 10. Kenyon (0-4) plays Alma College (1-3) at 2 p.m. before a 4 p.m. matchup against tournament-hosts Olivet College (2-2).