GAMBIER, Ohio – The Kenyon College volleyball team was back in action at Tomsich Arena on Saturday afternoon, facing off against Ohio Wesleyan University in a North Coast Athletic Conference battle. The Owls were beaten 3-0 (25-17, 25-16, 25-21) by the Battling Bishops. With the loss, Kenyon moved to 3-15 overall and 1-2 NCAC competition, while OWU improved to 8-11 and 2-1 in conference play.
The first set saw the Owls stay close, trading points through the opening stretch. A pair of kills from senior
Juliette Tomamichel and consistent setting from junior
Hannah Schwemm helped the Owls keep pace before a mid-set surge from the Bishops broke things open. Despite late service aces from Tomamichel and a kill from first-year
Kendall Kirkbride, OWU closed the frame with a 25-17 win.
In the second set, the Bishops opened strong, securing four opening points in a row before the Owls came and closed the gap at 5-4. However, a six-point run by the Bishops midway through the frame created separation that the home team could not overcome. Schweem recorded a kill while senior
Lauren Blakemore notched a service ace, but the Battling Bishops held on for a 25-16 victory to take a 2-0 lead.
Kenyon showed its best fight in the third set, erasing an early deficit to tie the score multiple times, including at 19-19. Kirkbride sparked the rally with a trio of kills, while junior
Olivia Gumz and senior
Becca Gwynne each added late points to keep the Owls within distance. However, Ohio Wesleyan's front line finished strong, recording a handful of kills meshed with a service ace and an attack error to seal the match with a 25-21 decision.
Offensively, Gumz led the home team with six kills, while senior
Aura Barinas followed with five of her own. Schwemm dished out 20 assists and added 11 digs for a double-double performance. Tomamichel led the Owls in aces with two on the day.
The Owls totaled 26 kills and 43 digs as a team but were held to a .040 hitting percentage against a sharp Ohio Wesleyan defense that finished with eight total blocks and 16 block assists.
Kenyon will continue their four-game stretch of home games against Walsh University (OH) on Wednesday, October 15th. First serve is set for 6:00 p.m.
