The Tiffin University volleyball team kept their postseason hopes alive on Thursday night, defeating the Wayne State Warriors 3-1.
The Dragons were flawless early in the match, racing ahead to a 16-10 lead in the 1st set. Tiffin went on to win the set 25-19, capitalizing on numerous Wayne State service errors. In the 2nd set, Tiffin continued to play well, but the Warriors kept pace with Tiffin. The two teams traded kills and found themselves tied at 18-18. An Emily Weithman service ace broke the tie and ultimately opened the flood gates. The Dragons used a 7-1 run to finish the set and win 25-19.
With Tiffin up 2-0, it looked like the Dragons were going to make it a quick trip for Wayne State. Tiffin kept the heat on the Warriors, bolting out of the gate to an 11-5 lead, but Wayne State kept chipping away at Tiffin's lead and pulled even at the bitter end. With the score tied at 24-23, Tiffin watched as Wayne State knifed an ace through their defense to tie the score, and then blasted a kill to give Wayne State a 26-24 win.
With the Warriors improbable set victory in hand, Wayne State had all the momentum, but Tiffin had a strong showing early. Tiffin jumped out to a 5-2 lead, but the Warriors were lurking. Wayne State tied the score at 7-7, and then before Tiffin knew it they were behind 15-11. Wayne State held onto the lead and looked like they would force a fifth set, but Tiffin had other ideas. The Dragons were able to tie the score at 23-23, and then had to fight off four set points. With the two teams trading points, the dreaded service error raised its ugly head for Wayne State, and gave the Dragons a one point lead. Tiffin put the final point on the board with an Amanda Curry kill to defeat Wayne State 30-28.
As a team, Tiffin hit at a .331 clip with 63 kills. The Warriors were their own worst enemy, committing 22 attack errors, 14 service errors, and five receiving errors.
Individually, Jenna Huffman finished with 18 kills, six blocks, and a .324 hitting percentage. Kasey Adelsperger played well for Tiffin collecting 12 kills. Olivia Cobb added 11 kills, while Danielle Hicks and Amanda Curry each logged 10 kills. Emily Weithman finished with two kills and 57 assists, and Taylor Lattimore was credited with 17 digs.
The win keeps Tiffin's hopes of playing in the GLIAC Tournament alive. The Dragons are now 19-11 overall and 9-7 in GLIAC play. Tiffin will wrap up the regular season tomorrow night, hosting the University of Findlay Oilers at 7:00 pm.