BEXLEY, Ohio – Hanover went on the road again for their second tournament of the year to Capital University. The Panthers opened up with two matches against Trine and Otterbein ultimately finishing 1-1 with some hard fought battles.
HANOVER v TRINE
Hanover College earned a hard-fought 3-0 victory over Trine University (25-23, 25-17, 30-28) on The Panthers improved to 4-2 on the season after sweeping Trine in a match that featured a marathon third set.
Match Highlights
Hanover finished with 39 kills on 139 attacks for a .173 hitting percentage, while Trine recorded 41 kills on 150 attacks and hit .107. The Panthers made the difference in several other statistical categories, recording 10 aces, 7 blocks, and 80 digs compared to Trine's 6 aces, 3 blocks, and 73 digs.
Abbey McCoy led Hanover with 11 kills, adding 3 aces and 11 digs for a strong all-around performance.
Molly Welborn contributed 8 kills and 2 blocks, while
Ryleigh Plunkitt added 7 kills and 2 aces.
Kinzee Dean and
Emmerson Gott each recorded 4 kills, with Dean adding 2 aces and Gott contributing 2 blocks.
Hanover's offense was directed by
Brooke Gervers with 19 assists and
Megan Vogel with 13 assists. Gervers also contributed 12 digs, while Vogel added 5 digs and 3 kills.
Defensively,
Madison Schicker and
Kaelin Quinlin each recorded 14 digs, leading a Panthers defense that finished with 80 total digs. Gervers added 12 digs and McCoy recorded 11, giving Hanover four players with double-digit digs.
The Panthers' serving game was especially effective, as Hanover finished with 10 aces, led by McCoy with 3. Plunkitt and Dean each added 2 aces, while
Natalie West,
Madison Schicker, and
Molly Welborn each recorded one. Hanover also held a 7-3 advantage in blocks.
Statistical Leaders
Kills:
Abbey McCoy (11)
Molly Welborn (8),
Ryleigh Plunkitt (7),
Kinzee Dean (4),
Emmerson Gott (4)
Digs:
Madison Schicker (14),
Kaelin Quinlin (14),
Brooke Gervers (12),
Abbey McCoy (11)
Assists:
Brooke Gervers (19),
Megan Vogel (13),
Natalie West (3)
Aces:
Abbey McCoy (3),
Ryleigh Plunkitt (2),
Kinzee Dean (2),
Natalie West (1),
Madison Schicker (1),
Molly Welborn (1)
Blocks:
Molly Welborn (2),
Emmerson Gott (2),
Abbey McCoy (1),
Megan Vogel (1),
Kinzee Dean (1)
Key to Victory
Hanover's ability to win the point in multiple ways proved to be the difference. The Panthers recorded 10 aces to Trine's 6, 7 blocks to 3, and 80 digs to 73, while hitting .173 compared to Trine's .107. After winning the first two sets 25-23 and 25-17, Hanover had to fight through a dramatic third set, eventually winning 30-28 to complete the sweep.
HANOVER v OTTERBEIN
Hanover dropped a hard-fought 3-0 match to Otterbein on Friday night, falling 25-21, 25-23, 26-24. The Panthers battled throughout the match, particularly in the final two sets, but Otterbein was able to make the key plays late in each set to remain unbeaten at 5-0
Match Highlights
Hanover matched Otterbein with 40 kills apiece and finished with a .221 hitting percentage compared to Otterbein's .279. The Panthers also held a 44-39 advantage in digs, but Otterbein's 7-3 edge in aces and 8-2 advantage in blocks proved significant.
Abbey McCoy and
Ryleigh Plunkitt led the Panthers with 12 kills each. McCoy hit .308 and added two aces, while Plunkitt had an outstanding .476 hitting percentage and added a block.
Molly Welborn contributed eight kills, seven digs and a block.
Brooke Gervers paced the offense with 16 assists, followed by
Megan Vogel with 13. Defensively,
Madison Schicker led Hanover with 10 digs, while Gervers and Welborn each added seven.
Hanover saved its best offensive performance for the third set, recording 18 kills on 39 attacks with a .359 hitting percentage. Despite the strong finish, Otterbein held on 26-24 to complete the sweep.
Stat Leaders
Kills:
Abbey McCoy 12 (.308),
Ryleigh Plunkitt 12 (.476),
Molly Welborn 8 (.174)
Digs:
Madison Schicker (10),
Brooke Gervers (7),
Molly Welborn (7)
Assists:
Brooke Gervers (16),
Megan Vogel (13),
Natalie West (2)
Aces:
Abbey McCoy (2),
Madison Schicker (1)
Blocks:
Ryleigh Plunkitt (1),
Kinzee Dean (1),
Molly Welborn (1)
Key to the Match
The Panthers' 40 kills and 44 digs kept them within striking distance throughout the match, but Otterbein's advantages at the service line and net ultimately made the difference. Hanover now moves to 4-3 on the season and looks for a bounce back win tomorrow against the host team Capital University.
