Lady Jackets drop marathon set, rebound to beat ODU in 5

By Danielle Cherry 

In a five-set game, Cedarville University showed what relentless pursuit looks like, fighting for every point, ultimately beating Ohio Dominican University 28-30, 20-25, 27-25, 25-23, 15-10. 

Ohio Dominican entered with one conference loss as the team to beat in the upcoming GMAC tournament, owning a 3-1 victory over Cedarville earlier this season. For the Jackets, coming off of the easy win from Thomas More, the change in game pace was drastic to their quick home win a week ago. 

With balls hurtling through the air at uncanny speeds, Cedarville’s back row of Megan Johnson, Alivia Rutt and Bekah Williams were all over the floor digging seemingly impossible balls. Rutt would fly from the back row to intercept a ball gone astray off the block, giving the attackers a chance to recover. 

The first set opened with Cedarville (8-8, 6-2 GMAC South) holding all the momentum. Charging up the crowd, Madelyn Hensley’s killer outside hits sent the Panthers (15-4, 7-2 GMAC South) sprawling to try to pick up hits. But the game shifted as Ohio Dominican found its footing and closed Cedarville’s eight-point gap. 

As communication dropped so did balls, with sets being thrown into the air in a last-ditch effort to get a swing. But the Lady Jackets didn’t cease, with Allie Pilat bringing the edge back to Cedarville swinging down the line, allowing Cedarville to fight for every point all the way until ODU reached 30. 

“The first set we had our opportunity to finish, we were up on them hard and we didn’t finish there,” said head coach Greg Smith. “But we didn’t let that affect the rest of the play.” 

The fight till the end in set one set the tone for the rest of the match, with neither team quitting on any ball no matter how hopelessly out-of-system it was. Receptions from Rutt were coming so fast at her they flew back over to the Panthers side, keeping the play fast and intense. 

With the Panthers finding their hitting rhythm in the second and third, Cedarville struggled on timing the block as effortlessly as they did in the first set. With six service errors, the gap to close against Ohio Dominican was entirely on the Jackets’ terms. 

“I felt like we did an incredible job of just bouncing back after being down 2-0,” Smith said. “It just shows that we’ve grown a lot up to this point and matured mentally.” 

Rallies were grueling, leaving both sides with bodies strewn across the floor. Picking up dumped passes and transforming them into a playable ball, Cedarville used every opportunity to create an attackable play — and it paid off. 

“It was a testament to the bench, to the people that came off the bench and replaced those that were struggling,” Smith said. “We didn’t miss a beat”

Freshman outside hitter, Ava Maibach came off the bench as if she had been playing the whole match. Her blocks and kills came with resounding cheers from the crowd, her mental game never faltering despite playing against a tough team like Ohio Dominican. 

Winning the third set, Hensley’s towering form started throwing off the Panthers. The outside cross-court hit constantly had Ohio Dominican shanking balls, and Cedarville used every opportunity to pound at that hole in their defense. 

Every time the gap would creep closer together it was as if the Jackets received a jolt of energy. Everything slowed down, passes being crisp and communication being loud. The Jackets lit up under the pressure, and were not extinguished. 

“There is such a huge trust and belief in each other that they were able to compete well,” Smith said. 

Being pushed all the way by the Panthers to 25 in the fourth, the Jackets knew the fifth set would be a test of their ability to finish, something they have struggled with throughout the season. 

“It was tight in the fourth and it got tight in the fifth and it could have easily gone the other way, but it didn’t,” Smith said. “I just feel like they have a belief in themselves now.”

In the midst of the intensity of the fifth, the Lady Jackets had fun. Off of a fast swing, Hensley’s ball hit the block, then hit Hensley’s head — with her head being the reason for the kill at the end of the point. With shouts of joy and disbelief the team crowded her, laughing and smiling as they watched the score tick to 14-10. 

This whole season Cedarville has boasted a young team, and this game against Ohio Dominican shows the Jackets could be a tournament threat. Ending with 78 digs, 25 kills for Hensley and 19 for Sienna Hanson — the stats show only part of the story. 

For a team who struggled to make it through three sets at the beginning of the season, beating an almost undefeated team in the GMAC conference is a result of the hard work and mental resilience of the Jackets. Playing Ashland (16-2, 11-0 GMAC East) on Saturday, the Jackets hope to carry their winning momentum with them. 

“It will be interesting to see how we do it, but I do trust our team,” Smith said. “They love playing this level of volleyball and I think this is really going to energize them for tomorrow.” 

Danielle Cherry is a junior communication major and is Assistant editor and writer for A&E and passionate writer for Sports. She is a Missionary Kid from Germany and has never seen a head-ball kill in her entire 20 years of life—at least that can be checked off now.