Morgan Sturgeon

The Denison volleyball team won a 3-2 (25-21, 21-25, 19-25, 25-22, 15-9) battle with North Coast Athletic Conference rival Ohio Wesleyan University on Saturday afternoon. The victory increased the Big Red's winning streak to a season-high three games and upped DU's record to 9-16 overall and 6-7 in the conference.

For the first time this year, the young Denison squad battled back from adversity and came out on top. Down two games to one in the match and staring a season sweep by rival OWU in the face, the Big Red rallied back to capture the final two games of the match and send the Battling Bishops home with a loss. The contest marked the first time all season the volleyball team rebounded from a 2-1 deficit.

A solid mixture of veteran youth stepped up at the net in the victory. Senior Kasia Kucharski (Columbus, Ohio/Bishop Ready) and freshman Morgan Sturgeon (Columbus, Ohio/Worthington Kilbourne) each registered 11 kills. Also adding to the attack were first-years Megan Early (Findlay, Ohio/Van Buren) and Brooke Beavers (Sylvania, Ohio/St. Ursula Academy) with nine and eight kills, respectively. The setting duo of Ali Trotter (Cincinnati, Ohio/Turpin) and Claire Koneval (Solon, Ohio/Solon) combined for 53 assists in the five-game match. Defensively, Holly Leonard (Evanston, Ill./Evanston Township) posted 33 digs while Sara Mason (Lakewood, Ohio/Lakewood) blocked five shots.

During the team's three-game winning streak this week Early has compiled 21 kills and nine solo blocks while Sturgeon and Kucharski had chipped in 20 kills each. Trotter and Koneval has combined for 118 helpers this week while Leonard registered 63 digs.

The Big Red look to continue their winning ways on Wednesday (Oct. 29) when they host Oberlin College. Match time is slated for 7 p.m. in the Livingston Gymnasium.