Defiance, Ohio – The Transylvania volleyball team grabbed a pair of wins on Saturday afternoon on the road, sweeping the Defiance College Yellow Jackets and the Adrian College Bulldogs at the Karl H. Weaner Center.
The Pioneers started off their day with a Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference victory over Defiance, winning 25-22, 25-15, 25-19 before topping off the afternoon with a 25-13, 25-14, 25-23 victory against Adrian in a nonconference contest.
Transylvania improved to 4-1 in HCAC play and 15-11 overall after a dominant Saturday showing.
Cate Scheper powered the offense on Saturday for the Pioneers, leading the team with 12 kills against the Yellow Jackets and 13 kills versus the Bulldogs. Sylvie Miller mirrored Scheper on the backline with a match-high 24 digs versus Defiance and 18 digs in the capper against Adrian.
The Pioneers displayed an overpowering offense in the opener against Defiance, nearly doubling the Yellow Jackets in the opening set with 17 kills to nine by the home team. Madison Sweeney registered five of her eight kills in the opening set to solidify the win.
The Yellow Jackets worked their way to a 9-8 lead early in the second set before the Pioneers countered with an 11-1 run to suddenly put the set out of reach. Scheper was an unstoppable force with six kills while Makayla Davis handed out nine of her match-high 21 assists in the middle set.
Transylvania's efficiency was on full display in the final set with a .393 attacking percentage off 15 of 47 total kills. Madi Davis and Kayden Holcomb led a final charge to subdue Defiance.
Karrington Jackson added eight kills, two blocks, and two digs for the Pioneers while Caitlin Woodard had a match-high three aces.
Transylvania continued its momentum into an afternoon-closing mastery of Adrian, surging to a 12-point win in the opening set on four kills apiece from Scheper and Sweeney. Makayla Davis held serve for five straight points as the Pioneers stretched out a 10-3 advantage. Following a Bulldog point, the Pioneers responded by scoring four of the next five points and the rout was on.
The Pioneers tallied up 16 kills in the second set for another one-sided win as Scheper and Suzanne Klosterman combined for 10 kills in the frame. Davis and Grace Ward combined for 13 assists in the set as the Pioneers quickly raced to a 2-0 match lead.
Shuttling in 14 different players in the final set, Transylvania made key plays down the stretch to complete the sweep of Adrian as Jackson delivered the final kill for the Pioneers.
Ward paced the Pioneers with 18 assists while Julianna Hakel tallied a team-high three blocks.
The Pioneers return to the Beck Center for a key contest against the Hanover College Panthers on Wednesday, October 20 at 7:00 p.m. The Pioneers and Panthers will enter Wednesday's showdown in a three-way tie atop the HCAC standings with Earlham College just past the midway point of the HCAC schedule.
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