GRANVILLE, Ohio -- The Earlham College volleyball team picked up a pair of wins at the Denison tri-match on Saturday. The Quakers defeated John Carroll University in straight sets before a four-set battle with Denison University. 

The Quakers improved to 11-4 in the 2021 season. 

Erin Wagner controlled the attack with 98 assists on the day. 

Maria Young led the Quaker offense with 28 kills, Olivia Kyrk scored 25 kills and attacked at a .416 clip. 

Jennifer Shamel recorded 40 digs on the back line for Earlham. Wagner also contributed 31 on defense. 

GAME ONE: EARLHAM 3   JOHN CARROLL 0 (25-21, 25-19, 25-22)

The Quakers scored 53 kills as a team en route to a straight-set win over the Blue Streaks. 

A 10-2 run for Earlham propelled the Quakers to a strong lead in the first set. John Carroll responded with a 10-2 run going the opposite direction to level the score at 17. AFter the run, Earlham strung together a couple sets of runs to win the opening frame. 

After trailing 6-4 in set two, the Quakers went on two 4+ poin runs to lead the entirety of the rest of the set. 

The third set was the closest of the match. After a string of JCU points, Earlham trailed 16-13. The Quakers then went on a five-point run to take the first definitive lead of the set. 

GAME TWO: EARLHAM 3   DENISON 1  (25-13, 21-25, 26-24, 25-23)

The Quakers strung two runs together in the first set and led 12-7 at the midway point. A kill by Young set off an 11-2 run that concluded the set for Earlham. 

The Big Red went on a trio of 3-point runs in the second set and led 20-14. The Quakers followed up with a 5-0 run to bring themselves back into competition. The run was not enough to win the set but it gave Earlham momentum heading into the stretch. 

After an early deficit, Earlham went on a 4-1 run to bring the score to 7-6 in favor of Denison. Both teams struggled to score consecutive points and as Denison reached match point, Earlham was close behind with 23 points. Three straight scores by the Quakers led to a win in set three. 

Earlham continued with a 3-0 run to begin set four, but Denison responded to take a 6-5 lead. The teams traded scoring runs until the score was deadlocked at 13. Earlham battled to a 19-16 lead, but it was erased after a 3-0 run by the Big Red. A 5-2 run at the end of the set lifted the Quakers to a sweep of the tri-match. 

From head coach Lauren Horton:
"Deep in the second set of the Denison match, we turned it on. We were more intentional about our touches and decisions. We played with maturity and passion"

The Quakers will be back in action next Saturday for a 1 p.m. match against Mount St. Joseph. The match marks the beginning of the HCAC season and the beginning of homecoming festivities on campus.