ALLIANCE, Ohio  - Mount Union's volleyball team defeated Otterbein on Senior Day Saturday, October 29 at the McPherson Academic and Athletic Complex in Alliance, Ohio.

Seniors Kelly Johnson (McMurray, Pa./St. Peters Township) and Caitlyn Synek (Indepenence/Independence) were honored at the beginning of the game for their last regular season home game of the 2016-17 season.  

Mount Union (18-8, 7-3 OAC) defeated Otterbein (16-12, 4-5 OAC) in four sets 25-18, 25-15, 17-25 and 25-20. Kyleigh Jackson (Galloway/Westland), Brooke Knollman (Powell/Olentangy Liberty) and Morgan Chapman (Seven Fields, Pa./Seneca Valley) each tallied nine kills on the day while Jackson added five blocks and Chapman added 11 digs.

Johnson and Riley Schenk (Lorain/Amherst Steele) paced the offense with 19 assists each. Allison Baird (North Royalton/North Royalton) led the defense with 21 digs. 

The first set started off close with a tie at 6-6. With a 4-0 service run from Elise Nickoli (Monroeville/Norwalk St. Paul) Mount Union led Otterbein 10-7. The Raiders didn't allow the Cardinals to come within six points of them throughout the set. Two errors by Otterbein ended the first set with Mount Union taking the win 25-18.

The Raiders went ahead 8-2 in the second set with service runs by Baird and Johnson. Mount Union continued their runs hitting a .407 hitting percentage in the second set and having 13 kills with only two errors as Otterbein had 10 kills and nine errors.

Schenk started off the third set with a 3-0 service run but the Cardinals came back in the game making it 6-6. Otterbein took a lead over Mount Union 9-7 but the Raiders came back with another service run from Nickoli to lead Otterbein 11-9. The Cardinals took their lead back as they went on their own 10-0 service run as Mount Union took two timeouts during that time. Mount Union could not come within four points of Otterbein as they took the third set 25-16.

The Raiders came out determined in the fourth set leading the Cardinals 5-3 early. Mount Union took a four point lead over Otterbein, 14-10. The Cardinals didn't give up with a 4-0 service run to come within two points of the Raiders, 19-17. Mount Union finished off the set with a kill by Schenk defeating the Cardinals 25-20.

Mount Union hosts the first round of the Ohio Athletic Conference tournament Tuesday, November 1 at 7:00 PM.