CRAWFORDSVILLE, Ind. — Wabash battled again from an early deficit and twice seized management of the match, however Westminster (Mo.) claimed the ultimate two factors of a tightly contested fifth set Sunday afternoon to hand the Little Giants a 3-2 loss at Chadwick Court.
The Blue Jays claimed the nonconference match by set scores of 25-19, 13-25, 21-25, 25-23, 15-13 in a contest that featured 26 tie scores and 6 lead modifications over 5 units.
Wabash (2-4) almost erased a late deficit in the fourth set and rallied from a five-point gap in the fifth earlier than Westminster (13-4) secured the ultimate two factors to shut out the victory.
The Blue Jays managed the opening set behind a .560 hitting proportion, recording 16 kills with solely two errors. After the rating was tied 16-16, Westminster closed on a 9-3 run, fueled by consecutive kills from Derrick Turner and Charlie Haas, to take a 25-19 win.
Wabash responded emphatically in the second set. Trailing 6-4, the Little Giants strung collectively a 9-3 surge sparked by kills from Shad Wilson and Zev Wolverton and a Bawibawi Thang service ace to construct a 13-7 benefit. Wabash hit .391 in the body with 12 kills in opposition to three errors and capped the set on a block by Thang to even the match at 1-1.
The Little Giants carried that momentum into the third set. After falling behind 5-2, Wabash answered with a 6-1 run, highlighted by a Wolverton ace and a number of Thang kills, to seize management. Wabash prolonged the margin to 20-15 and closed out a 25-21 victory behind 14 kills and a .360 assault proportion in the set.
Westminster answered in the fourth. The Blue Jays constructed an early 8-3 lead behind the serving of Brady Sickles, who added a service ace through the stretch. Wabash chipped away and tied the set at 23-23 after a service ace from Graham Volk capped a 4-1 run. However, a Haas kill and a Sickles service ace ended the set 25-23, forcing a decisive fifth.
In the ultimate set, Westminster raced to a 10-5 lead behind 4 early kills from Turner. Wabash rallied with a 5-1 run, together with a Matthew Stitle service ace and a Wilson kill, to minimize the deficit to 11-10. The groups traded factors down the stretch earlier than a Turner kill gave the Blue Jays match level at 14-13. A Wilson service error sealed the 15-13 determination.
The Little Giants completed with 53 kills and a .284 assault proportion, whereas Westminster countered with 56 kills and a .289 hitting mark. Wabash owned the sting at the web with 12 crew blocks in contrast to eight for the Blue Jays.
Thang led Wabash with 16 kills and hit .333, including two block assists and 22 digs. Wolverton contributed 13 kills on a .385 clip with three service aces and 5 complete blocks. Wilson added 15 kills and hit .300, whereas Stitle directed the offense with 49 assists.
Westminster’s Turner proved decisive with 22 kills on .385 hitting, together with seven in the fifth set. Sickles added 10 kills, and Haas chipped in seven.
Wabash posted 38 digs and eight service aces in the match whereas holding Westminster to a .192 hitting proportion in the fourth set and limiting the Blue Jays to .111 in the second. The Little Giants additionally hit .360 in the third set throughout their strongest stretch of the afternoon.
Wabash opens Midwest Collegiate Volleyball League play Feb. 20 with a highway match at the University of Olivet.