MIDDLETOWN, Conn. – In a match that had all the feels of a conference title game, the Wesleyan volleyball team hosted Middlebury on Friday night in a match that no one in-attendance will soon forget. After holding on late in the fourth to force a decisive fifth set, the Cardinals leaned on their middle hitters to build a 9-3 lead, only to see the Panthers crawl back to within one at 13-12. With so much riding on this match in terms of playoff positioning and with a packed Silloway Gymnasium all on their feet, Bella Ahearn '23 slammed home a kill before Brina Kuslak '22 punched home the game-winning point as Wesleyan (11-1, 5-1 NESCAC) won the final set 15-12 to take the win over previously unbeaten Middlebury (14-1, 4-1 NESCAC).
 
HIGHLIGHTS:

• Middlebury came to life with a strong opening set, taking a 7-3 lead early and later riding a 6-0 run to make it 15-7. The Panthers led by 10 late but the Cardinals finally found their footing, going on an extended 7-1 run to cut into the Middlebury lead and trail by just four at 22-18. But a Lucy Ambach service ace helped Middlebury finish off a 25-19 first set win.
• The second set started much like the first as the Panthers jumped out to an early lead, this time Middlebury led 7-4 in the early going. Wesleyan responded and tied the score at 8-8 before a dominating 5-0 run off Jenna Otaola's '22 serve pushed Wesleyan out in front and that momentum turned into a 11-2 swing in favor of the Cardinals. Leading by as much as six, the Panthers made it competitive down the stretch, cutting the deficit to 22-20 but Wesleyan came away with some key points late thanks to kills from Mariko Tanaka '24 that completed a 25-23 win.

 

• It was all Middlebury in the third set as the Panthers took advantage of Cardinal attack errors to lead 7-1 and led by as many as 14 points before ultimately closing out a 25-15 third set win.
• For the first time on the night, Wesleyan got off to a strong start to open a set as a mini 3-0 run to open the fourth followed by a 4-0 run helped push the Cardinals out in front 11-4. The Wesleyan lead swelled to 16-8 before the Panthers won five straight points to close the gap at 16-13. It was still just a three-point and later a two-point cushion for the Cardinals but some late-set magic from Tanaka once again proved the difference in a close 25-22 victory that sent the match into a fifth set.
• With the volume in Silloway up to a fever pitch, the Cardinals saw their middle hitters completely dominate on the way to the victory. In the fifth set alone, Kuslak (six) and Tanaka (four) combined for 10 of the Cardinals' 14 kills in the frame that proved too much for the Panthers to overcome in the end. In a set the Cardinals led wire-to-wire, Wesleyan built an early 6-2 lead that later grew to as many as six points at 9-3. Middlebury's 4-0 run made it just a one-point margin. After trading points, Ahearn posted a kill to make it match point where Kuslak finished off Middlebury, snapping the Panthers' 14-match unbeaten streak in the process.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS:

• Wesleyan registered 72 kills on the night but were stellar in the fourth and fifth set. In the fourth, Cardinals went for 20 kills against just two errors in 49 attempts (.367 hitting %) while with the pressure at its highest in the fifth set, Wesleyan was incredible offensively going for 14 kills with just one error on 34 attempts (.382 hitting %).
• Both Tanaka and Kuslak had career nights as each went for a career-high while hitting north of .450 for the match. Tanaka posted a career-high 23 kills (.452 hitting %) with four blocks and nine digs which is also a career-high. Kuslak tallied a single-game career-high 17 kills with a game-high .467 attack %.
• Jenna Otaola '22 was incredible all night, going north of 30 digs for the first time in her career, finishing the match with a career-high 36 digs for the Cardinal senior libero
• Maya Lopansri '25 stuffed the stat sheet with a career-high 58 assists to go along with three service aces and 13 digs for her second double-double of the season.
• Ahearn tallied 13 kills and three blocks while Kiana Yuhl '25 (16 digs), Grace Bell '23 (11 digs) and Bianca Ortiz '25 (eight digs) were solid all night from the back row
• Middlebury saw four players reach double figures in kills, led by Maggie Wise's 15
• Gabbie O'Toole finished with 52 assists and 13 digs for a double-double from the setter position

UP NEXT:
In a highly-emotional, thrilling, exhausting five-set win, the Cardinals need to regroup for another big match on Saturday afternoon as Little 3 rival Amherst comes to town for a 2 PM start.