Bison Volleyball Earns 25 Wins for Fifth Straight Year with Sweeps of St. Vincent/Chatham
Oct. 24 – PITTSBURGH, Pa. – The Bethany College volleyball team made it 25 wins for the fifth-straight season as the Bison captured a pair of victories in an unconventional double header on Saturday. The Bison first traveled to Latrobe, Pa., earning a 3-0 sweep of Saint Vincent College. They then moved on to Pittsburgh, where they dispatched of Chatham University, 3-0.
In their first game of the day, the Green & White handled their business against the Bearcats, defeating Saint Vincent in straight sets. The Bison captured the first game by a 25-23 score, before cruising to wins in sets two and three by scores of 25-15 and 25-14, respectively.
The host Bearcats started the opening game strong, racing out to a 5-1 lead. Saint Vincent would extend the advantage to as many as seven (13-6) on a kill by Allie Liboski.
Bethany would fight back, outscoring the Bearcats 10-3 over the next 13 points to knot the game at 16-16. Alexis Castro (Lorain, Ohio/Lorain) was the driving force for the Bison in the run, totaling four kills to help the Green & White tie the opening set. The Bison would then overtake the hosts in the match, going on for the 25-23 win. Castro added her fifth kill of the set for the final point, and the Bison led 1-0.
In the final two sets, Saint Vincent would hold the lead just one time (2-0 in set two). In set two, the Green & White would lead by as many as 12 (23-11) on a kill by Julia Mouch (Toledo, Ohio/Sylvania Southview) before going on for the 25-15 win.
The third and final set was all Bethany, as the Green & White opened the game by jumping out to a 15-5 advantage. The Bison would then solidify the match win by taking the third game, 25-14. Castro and Dylana McKenzie (Hopewell, Ohio/West Muskingum) combined for 10 total kills to secure the victory.
Overall offeDylana McKenzieson hit .288 in the match, led by 16 kills from Dylana McKenzie. Castro added 13 in the victory, while Dakota McKenzie (Hopewell, Ohio/West Muskingum) finished with six. Senior Mackenzie Lauber (Mansfield, Ohio/Madison) totaled 22 assists, while junior Allie Powell (Indianapolis, Ind./Lawrence Central) tallied 19.
Defensively, the Bison totaled 58 digs in the three-set match, the second most by the Green & White in a three-set match this season. Freshman Reilly Parker (Irwin, Pa./Norwin) totaled 15 digs, while Mouch finished with 11.
Following the victory over the Bearcats, the Bison moved on to Pittsburgh to take on Chatham University. Bethany saw 17 different players take the floor in the match, defeating the Cougars by a 3-0 score.
The Green & White took down the Cougars in straight sets, winning by scores of 25-14, 25-8 and 25-12, to capture their 25th win of the season.
Offensively in the match, the Bison were led by eight kills from Mouch. Sumayyah Muhammad (Warren, Ohio/Warren G. Harding) added siDylana McKenzies/mckenzie_dakota_t32a">Dakota McKenzie0 different players notched at least two kills. Dakota McKenzie and Dylana McKenzie each totaled four, while Ashley Veryser (Cygnet, Ohio/Elmwood) finished with three.
Defensively, the Bison held the Cougars to a -.062 hitting percentageDakota McKenzie 43 digs. Freshman Keilly Terry (Leesburg, Va./Saint John's) and Mouch led the way with nine digs, each, while Dakota McKenzie and Muhammad finished with four.
With the wins, head coach Courtney Kline has now led the Bison to five-straight 25+-win seasons. In that time the Bison have amassed a record of 144-46 and a winning percentage of .757. In that time, the Green & White have qualified for five-straight PAC Championship Tournament berths, as well as three Eastern College Athletic Conference Championships.
Bethany, who has just one game remaining in their conference schedule, has already solidified at least the third seed, and a first-round home game for the upcoming PAC Championship Tournament. The Green & White still have a chance at a first-round bye, trailing Geneva College by just one game, with a matchup with the Golden Tornadoes looming on Thursday, October 29. The game between the Bison and Geneva in Hummel Field House is scheduled for a 7 p.m. start.
