CLEVELAND, Ohio— In a battle of teams that made the 2023 NCAA Tournament Mount Union women's volleyball team came up just short dropping a five set match, 25-23, 25-23, 22-25, 22-25 and 9-15, to Case Western Reserve Wednesday night.
 
Mount Union (3-2) was led by senior Darby Leininger (Chardon / Beaumont) with 21 kills and five blocks. Sophomore Molly McKee (North Ridgeville) picked 14 kills while senior Heaven Bartell (Cleveland / St. Jopseh Academy) finished with 11.
 
Senior Casey Kildow (Bethedesa / Union Local) and Melissa Hansen (Hudson) finished with 30 and 28 assists. Senior Katelyn Lesko (Mineral Ridge) finished with a career high 33 digs while freshman Sam Cantrell (Eastlake / Eastlake North), Bartell and Hansen had 20, 19 and 13 digs.
 
Ava Bolen (Wellsburg, W. Va. / Brooke) finished with two solo and five assisted blocks while Leininger had two solo and three assisted.
 
Case Western Reserve (5-0), who is receiving votes in the most recent AVCA coaches poll, was led by Rea Marfatia with 25 kills, Carly Scott with 57 assists and 21 digs.
 
Mount Union will return to Case Western Reserve to take on Earlham at 10 am and Allegheny at 12 pm on Saturday.