NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. - The Westminster College volleyball team secured an important 3-1 (25-16, 19-25, 25-16, 25-20) win over visiting Grove City Thursday night. The sixth-place Titans further distance themselves from the seventh-place Wolverines for the sixth and final playoff spot in the Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) standings as Westminster is now 15-9 on the season and 7-5 in the PAC, while Grove City falls to 12-11 overall and 4-8 in the league.
Westminster has now won 13 straight against Grove City dating back to 2005 and 24 of the last 25 meetings.
Senior outside hitter Tara Ott (Camp Hill, Pa./Cedar Cliff) posted double-figure kills for the ninth time this season and the fourth time in the last five matches as she pounded a match-high 16 kills. Ott committed just three errors on 48 swings for a .271 hitting percentage to go with her 11 digs and two blocks.
Sophomore middle blockers Rebecca Riemer (Pittsburgh, Pa./Mount Lebanon) and Lexi Starheim (Hubbard, Ohio/Hubbard) each posted 10 kills while Riemer hammered down a match-high six blocks.
Senior setter Jessie Szakacs (Youngstown, Ohio/Liberty) handed out 41 assists as she moved into second place on Westminster all-time list for career assists with 3,106. She eclipsed former teammate Traci Hassell's mark of 3,098 from 2006-08. Szakacs will likely finish her career in second place as Carolee Reed holds the record with 3,689 from 1999-2002.
Other notables for Westminster included senior defensive specialist Tamber Schaef (Guys Mills, Pa./Maplewood) and junior defensive specialist Tara Incerpi (Carrollton, Ohio/Minerva) pacing the back line with 18 and 16 digs, respectively.
Freshman middle blocker Kassie Freyermuth (Allison Park, Pa./North Allegheny) also posted seven kills and five blocks for the Titans.
Ashley Branch and Elisabeth Willits led the Wolverines with 11 and 10 kills respectively.
Westminster will host Chatham Saturday at 5 p.m.
Courtesy: Westminster College
