As the Otterbein women’s volleyball team concluded their season this past week, they won the OAC Championship again and won themselves a ring for the third season in a row. The match was against Marietta College, an undefeated nationally ranked team. They swept the floor making it a 3-1 win.
Maddie Mergen, a junior outside hitter, described the feeling of this game.
“My favorite part of the season was coming into Marietta being the underdog seat and knowing it was going to be great volleyball and a great fight,” Mergen said. “It was the best I’ve seen us play and it was the best way to win my third ring.”
The team made it to the NCAA tournament where they traveled up to Holland, Michigan to play against the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point on Nov. 21. After a close fight, Otterbein fell to a 2-3 loss.
“We wanted that game badly and we came back and fought hard, but sometimes the fight needs to happen sooner. But it was there,” Mergen said.
Although the season ended in a loss in the NCAA tournament, Otterbein finished the OAC regular season 7-2 with losses against Muskingum University and Marietta College and won the championship, despite the challenges they faced.
“We faced a lot of adversity at the beginning of the season with two injuries and constant lineup changes trying to improve things," Mergen said. "We as a team trusted each other and what we were working for, and we bought into the method and the journey, which paid off at the end of the season."
