On Wednesday, Oct. 4, the Ashland University volleyball team took on the Tiffin Dragons on the road.
With the two sides looking to roll through the middle of Great Midwest Athletic Conference (GMAC) play, the supporters who packed into the Gilmor Student Center prepared for a competitive contest.
Before the first serve of the game, the student section was roaring and taunting the Eagles, giving Tiffin a favorable home-court advantage.
The first set had begun and Tiffin came out swinging, scoring six straight points to put the Eagles down 6-2 very early in the opening set. The Eagles would come back and tie up the game off of a monstrous offensive recovery.
With the two sides going back and forth throughout the set, small mistakes would dwindle down the Dragons’ chances of finding a win. Those mistakes were what the Eagles would need as they would go on a run, winning the set 25-21.
Running off the adrenaline of an intense opening set, the Eagles rolled into the second set with confidence.
Right out of the gate, the Eagles would take an early 2-0 lead. The Dragons then slowly gained momentum, leading 15-11 midway through the second set. The Dragons would then continue to push the lead, giving themselves a nine point advantage while being up 21-12.
The Dragons would continue their offensive assault on the Eagles late in the set, pushing the team to a 25-15 win to tie up the series, 1-1. The statement second half would bring the Dragons’ crowd confidence as they once again became rowdy, changing the atmosphere of the game.
In the third set, the Eagles would have its backs up against the wall. Even with the momentum on the home teams side, the countless mistakes and self-inflicted wounds from the Dragons would propel the Eagles to a 25-14 bounce-back win.
As the two sides headed into the fourth set, the Eagles were just one set win away from pulling off a match victory.
In the fourth and final set, the Eagles and Dragons went back and forth. The largest lead came from the Eagles as they led 20-16 off a critical block in the late stages of the set. The Dragons would look to gain momentum as the match came to a close, but the Eagles held strong.
The Eagles would ultimately cruise to a 25-17 win over the Dragons as they improve to 12-4 on the season and 6-1 in GMAC play.
They look to return to conference play against the Ursuline Arrows at home on Friday, Oct. 6, with tip-off set for 6:00 P.M. in Kates Gymnasium.
