FREDERICK, Md. - A nail-biting season finale between the Hood College women's volleyball team and Eastern Mennonite saw the Blazers fall to the Royal Lions 3-2 as Hood recognized their lone senior of the year,
MacKenzi Wright (Hagerstown, Md./South Hagerstown).
Set Scores
The Royal Lions won 25-13, 22-25, 25-16, 21-25, 15-7.
Inside the Box Score
Ann Ofoegbu (Falling Waters, W.Va./Spring Mills) led the team with 15 kills.
Jackie Malitzki (Allentown, Pa./Parkland) finished with 16 assists and four aces.
Ashley Donald (Waynesboro, Pa./Waynesboro) had 11 digs on the day.
Sami Betley (Bel Air, Md./Mercy) and Logan Burge (Urbana, Md./Urbana) both collected three blocks, with Burge adding three aces as well.
How it Happened
The Royal Lions started the first set with an 8-2 lead and kept themselves comfortably ahead the rest of the way to take the match lead.
The Blazers started off with a 7-2 lead in the second set with back-to-back aces from Burge and kills from Wright, but the Royal Lions went on a 9-1 run shortly after to take a 16-12 lead. After Wright knotted the score at 21, the Blazers scored four of the next five points to tie the match.
With neither team gaining any strong advantage in the third set and the Blazers holding a tentative 11-10 lead, the Royal Lions ran ahead with a 9-2 run before closing out the set.
A couple of kills from Wright helped the Blazers accumulate an 8-4 lead early in the fourth set, but a mid-set run from the Royal Lions saw them fall behind with a 19-16 deficit. With their backs against the wall, Hood rattled off a clutch 9-2 run off three kills in a row from Ofoegbu to force a decisive fifth set.
After an early back-and-forth had the teams tied at four, Eastern Mennonite used three aces in a row from Hannah Quero to go on a 5-0 run, a commanding lead they would not relinquish to take the match.
For the Opponent
Quero finished the match with 11 kills, five blocks, and four aces.
Manuela Marin was credited with 21 digs, while having four aces of her own along with Madison Stockner.
Megan Miller ended the afternoon with 17 assists.
Up Next
The Blazers will return for the 2024 season.
