RICHMOND -- The magical 2021 season for the Earlham College volleyball team has come to an end. The Quakers suffered a 3-1 loss to Transylvania University in the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference Championship game.
Maria Young led the offense with 11 kills and a .214 hitting percentage.
Giselle Mora also reached double-digit kills.
Erin Wagner dished up 40 assists and nine digs in the match.
Freshman
Akiko Tajima collected 16 digs and scored one service ace.
Olivia Kyrk tallied five total blocks and contributed seven kills to the offense.
Wagner and Kyrk were named to the all-tournament team at the conclusion of the match.
The first set was closely contested throughout its duration. The largest lead of the set came when the Pioneers had a 3-0 run with the score tied at 21. Both teams attacked above .310 and had 13+ kills in the set.
Earlham had found its footing in the second set and began the frame with a 6-1 run which had three kills and an ace. An 8-3 run for the Quakers through the middle of the set gave them an 18-10 lead and plenty of momentum heading forward. A 5-1 line for Earlham put an end to the set and equalized the match.
The Quakers got another hot start in set three with a 4-1 run. With Earham leading 10-4, the Pioneers scored a kill and put tournament MVP Grace Ward up to serve.
The Pioneers scored seven straight points, including one ace from Ward. Three more points after an Earlham rebound saw a 10-1 run in total for Transylvania. The Pioneers hit at a .25 percentage and held Earlham to .163 as Transy took set three.
For the fourth set, Earlham changed liberos and gave Akiko the backline honors. The Pioneers were still hot from the end of set three and began with an 8-3 run in the frame. The Quakers recovered with a 4-0 run, but Transy followed with a 6-1 run with Ward serving again. The Pioneers led 15-9 and carried their lead through the set. The Quakers had seven attack errors and were hitting at a .073 clip in the last set.
Earlham concludes its 2021 season with a record of 20-6 and will have to wait and see if they are selected for the NCAA tournament. The selection show will take place on Monday at 12:30 pm.
