SANDUSKY, Ohio -- The Kenyon College volleyball team opened its 2024 campaign with its first of three matches at the Great Lakes Cross Over, a 24-team season-opening outing hosted by Heidelberg University at the Cedar Point Sports Center. The Owls were unable to secure a set or an overall victory against Penn State Altoona on Friday night, but the match was much closer than the 3-0 final as Kenyon kept it close in the second and third sets.

PSU Altoona set themselves up for success with a commanding 25-14 first-set win that saw the squad hit an efficient .303 with 14 kills while holding the Owls to a .000 hitting percentage and four kills. However, head coach Madison Schweitzer, coaching her first game at the helm for Kenyon, and the Owls adjusted to the early blow and bounced back over the next two sets.

Kenyon out-hit the Lions .119 to .105 in set two and collected three more kills than their opponents, but the Owls narrowly missed out on evening the score at 1-1 as their opponents eked out a 27-25 victory. Set three saw PSU Altoona get back to their efficient offensive output as the team posted a .283 hitting percentage and 17 kills, but the Owls hung tough and upped their success rate to .188 in a competitive set. However, the Lions clawed out another win, clinching the match with a 25-21 decision.

Individually, Olivia Gumz was fantastic for the Owls, leading the team with 15 digs and tying for first with nine kills. Her .308 hitting percentage was the second best amongst Owls with over 12 attacks, and her 9.5 points ranked second on the team. It was a career night for the sophomore as she shattered her career high for digs and attacks while tying a career best for kills.

Aura Barinas also racked up nine kills for Kenyon, pacing the team with11 points and 30 attempts while hitting .133 and notching seven digs. Hannah Schwemm, another sophomore, set a career high and led the Owls with 23 assists, and she added four digs. Lauren Blakemore and Arianna Flota joined Gumz with double-digit dig totals, notching 11 and 10, respectively. Sophia Menke contributed in the middle for the Owls, scoring seven points after leading the team with two blocks and hitting an efficient 5-for-12 (.333).

Kenyon will have two chances to get into the win column as the Owls play two games tomorrow to close their time at the Great Lakes Cross Over. On Saturday, Kenyon opens the day with a matchup against Saint Mary's College at 10 a.m. before wrapping up with a clash against John Carroll University at 2 p.m.