The Otterbein Cardinal volleyball team improved their record to 13-4 Wednesday night with a three-game win over the Wooster Scots.
The win did not come easily for the Cardinals, however, as they had to fight from behind in each of the three games.
The first game began with the two teams seemingly trading points until Wooster was able to go on an 11-3 run to take the lead 18-13.
From this point, the Cardinals began to click and went on a 12-2 run of their own to take the game 25-20.
The Cardinals were unable to carry this momentum over to the second game and trailed much of the early portion by three to four points.
This allowed the Cardinals to keep Wooster in striking distance though, and halfway through the game, the Cardinals again turned up the heat.
The team went on a 13-5 run to close out the game with a 25-21 victory.
Wooster came out strong in the third game, taking a four to nothing lead off the bat, but again, the ability to fight back proved valuable for the Cardinals as they closed the game on a 12-6 run to seal the victory in the game (25-23) and in the match.
Head Coach Monica McDonald praised her players for their resilience and ability to play from behind.
"We have a very cohesive unit with kids who have played together a long time," she said. "I try to let them fight through it themselves and not call a lot of timeouts."
Despite a tough OAC opening loss last Saturday to nationally-ranked Heidelberg, McDonald remains optimistic about the rest of the team's season.
"Our ultimate goal is to be undefeated in the rest of league play," she said.
Some tough opponents remain, including nationally- ranked Ohio Northern, as well as Mount Union, who has won 11 straight matches to improve its record to 12-4. This does not shake away any of McDonald's confidence, however.
"We were a little unfortunate in the draw (having to play Heidelberg so early), but I am confident we can beat the remaining teams," she said.
If the Cardinals can achieve this goal, Coach McDonald looks to earn an OAC title.
However, having one loss already, McDonald says all her team can do is try to keep winning, and what Heidelberg does is out of their control.
The Cardinals will next travel to University Heights, Ohio on Friday, Oct. 1 to take on OAC rival John Carroll with a start time set for 7 p.m.
Wooster, who fell to 10-10 with the loss, will also face John Carroll in their next matchup which will take place in Wooster on Oct. 5. t&c;
