Ravens Volleyball dropped a home match to the Central Methodist University Eagles Thursday night.
The Ravens lost in three sets, 25-22, 25-20, and 25-19.
The Ravens dropped the opening set but showed some fight against the Eagles. After CMU took an early 8-3 lead, the Ravens battled back and went on a 13-4 run to take a 16-12 advantage to force an Eagles timeout. Whatever CMU discussed in the timeout worked in the Eagles favor, as they answered the Ravens run with a 12-3 run of their own.
The Ravens made one last surge in the first set, scoring 3-straight points, but the Eagles closed out the opener with a 25-22 win.
The Ravens found themselves down again in the second set, falling behind CMU 13-6. But, like the first set, the Ravens battled back. They slowly chipped away at CMU's lead and pulled to within 1 point at 19-18. However, that's when the Eagles found their groove again and closed out the set on a 6-1 run to win 25-19, taking a 2-0 advantage in the match.
After the Ravens took an early 7-6 lead in the third set, the Eagles took control with a 7-2 run. That lead was extended to 21-15 and, though the Ravens continued to battle, they dropped the final set by 6 points. It was the second time CMU knocked off the Ravens in three sets this season, and the Ravens haven't beaten CMU, consistently a strong team in the Heart, since 2012.
It was a strong night for first-year players. Freshman Mary Pat Taylor led the Ravens with 10 kills and Haylie Dickerson added 8 kills. Katrina Vojvodic and Joslyn Lewis, another freshman, each had 5 kills. Marea Wortmann, also a freshman, led the team with 21 assists, and Megan Luby had 21 digs for the Ravens. Wortmann had two aces to lead the team, while fellow freshmen Katelyn Malick and Maggie Brandt also recorded aces. Dickerson and Wortmann each added a solo block, Dickerson was involved in two other blocks, and Lewis had three block assists.
The Ravens (7-7, 5-6 Heart) won't have to wait long for their next match. They host a triangular Friday, Nov. 6, taking on William Penn University at 3 p.m. and Columbia College at 7 p.m.
