Marietta volleyball holds off Washington & Jefferson for 3-2 victory
Pioneers win fifth set 15-10 to improve to 12-6 on the season

Sept. 23, 2008
WASHINGTON, Pa. — The Marietta College volleyball team jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in Tuesday (Sept. 23) night's non-conference match-up at Washington & Jefferson (Pa.) College. The Pioneers then held off a Presidents' rally to escape with a 3-2 (25-20, 25-23, 24-26, 20-25, 15-10) victory. The win improved Marietta's record to 12-6 on the season, which matched its win total from 2007. Washington & Jefferson fell to 5-5 in 2008.

Three Pioneers hitters finished with double-digit kills in the win, which was the first for Marietta in three tries on an opponent's home floor. Sophomore outside hitter Kelly Schoener (Dublin/Dublin Scioto), who entered the week ranked third among Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) players in kills per game (3.48), paced the team with 15 kills, while freshman outside hitter Jaimie Hartline (North Canton/Glen Oak), who was ranked sixth in the same category (3.04 kpg), added 14 kills. Freshman right side hitter Meredith Storey (Olmsted Falls) also contributed 12 kills in the victory.

Senior setter Caity Shirk (Middleburg Heights/Midpark), ranked fourth among OAC setters averaging 9.53 assists, handed out 49 assists in the match. She has now compiled 640 assists in 2008 and 2,447 assists in her career, which ranks third all-time at Marietta.

Junior libero Becca Holzworth (North Olmsted), who leads the OAC in aces, added five more to her season total to give her 50. Hartline added three more service aces in the match. Holzworth, ranked fourth in the OAC in digs per game (4.95), also finished with a team-high 30 digs, while senior defensive specialist Brittany Papili (Wilmington, Del./St. Elizabeth) had 15 digs. Sophomore middle blocker Alex Edelbrock (Findlay/Van Buren Local) also helped the defense at the net with two solo blocks and two block assists on Tuesday.

Marietta now turns its attention to OAC play, where the Pioneers will open their league schedule at home against Heidelberg College on Saturday (Sept. 27) afternoon on Fenton Court. Saturday is Alumni Appreciation Day for Marietta volleyball. The meeting with the Student Princes, which will be part of tri-match, will take place at 1 p.m. Heidelberg will then battle Ursuline College at 3 p.m. with Marietta closing out the tri-match against Ursuline at 5 p.m. Live statistics of Marietta's match with Heidelberg will be available at http://pioneers.marietta.edu/livestats/xlive.htm and an audio broadcast of both Marietta matches can be heard on WMRT-FM 88.3 or online at http://pioneers.marietta.edu/onlinebroadcasts.html.