HANOVER, IN — Transylvania volleyball battled Hanover College in a competitive four-set matchup Wednesday night at Collier Arena, falling 3-1 in Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference action.
Hanover opened the match with a 25-15 victory in the first set, holding Transylvania to seven kills. The Pioneers responded with an improved offensive performance in the second set, recording 13 kills while battling through 13 ties and six lead changes. Despite the effort, Hanover edged Transylvania 30-28 to take a 2-0 advantage in the match.
Facing a two-set deficit, Transylvania answered in the third set with a 25-23 victory to extend the match. The Pioneers recorded a match-high 14 kills in the frame, overcoming 11 ties and six lead changes to cut Hanover's advantage to 2-1. Transylvania continued to compete in the fourth set, posting its highest hitting percentage of the evening at .242 with 12 kills and four attack errors. Hanover responded with 14 kills and a .379 hitting percentage to secure the set 25-20 and claim the 3-1 victory.
Addie Atcher and Peyton Mast led the Transylvania offense with 13 kills apiece. Mast finished with a .220 hitting percentage and added six digs and a solo block, while Atcher contributed three digs and a block assist. Payton Avilez and Cecelia Roberts each added eight kills, with Roberts recording two solo blocks, two block assists and a service ace. Chloe Jensen contributed four kills on eight attempts for a .250 hitting percentage while adding two solo blocks.
Megan Sweeney directed the Pioneers' offense with 36 assists while contributing 18 digs and a block assist. Julia Brown anchored the defensive effort with a team-high 25 digs and four assists, while Soleil Sabin added nine digs and two service aces. Transylvania finished with 81 digs and seven solo blocks, with four additional block assists..
Despite falling behind early, Transylvania battled back to capture the third set and remained competitive throughout the fourth. The Pioneers' defensive effort and balanced offensive production highlighted the conference matchup as they continued HCAC competition.
Transylvania University is a proud member of NCAA Division III and the HCAC. To keep up to date with all of Transylvania Athletics, check out our website at transysports.com and follow @TransySports on Instagram.
