"Kenyon College Invitational Tournament"

  For the fourth straight year, the MVNC women's volleyball team opened its season with a tournament championship. On Saturday, the Lady Cougars claimed their second straight Kenyon College Invitational title by going undefeated throughout the tournament. Besides winning the Kenyon Invitational in 1995, MVNC won the Oberlin College Invitational in 1993 and 1994 to open those seasons.

  On Friday, the Lady Cougars (4-0) began their season against Hiram College. MVNC rolled to a 15-1 victory in the first game as they came out smoking. Then, in the second game with some different people in the line-up, the team won 15-10 to take a 2-0 lead in the match. The third game was a tight battle throughout with the Lady Terriers (0-1) prevailing 16-14 in the end.

  With the starters back on the court for the fourth game, the Lady Cougars were poised to finish off the match. However, due to communication breakdowns and outstanding play on the part of Hiram, MVNC fell 15-7 to force a fifth and deciding game.

  Using rally scoring (a new rule, used in all fifth games, where a point is scored on every serve regardless of which team is serving), the team came back from a 10-6 deficit to claim a hard-fought 15-13 win to take the match.

  "This was a good match for us because it allowed us to work on some of our weaknesses," said MVNC head coach Paul Swanson. "They outplayed us in the back row and at the serving line for most of the match. We were able to get everyone some experience, though, which will help us as the season progresses."

  The second pool play match on Friday pitted MVNC against Defiance College. Game one belonged to the Lady Cougars as they rolled to a 15-1 victory. The second game was closer, but MVNC still prevailed 15-7. In the third game, the Yellow Jackets (0-2) took a 10-7 lead, but the Lady Cougars rebounded to score the final eight points of the game to take the match 15-10.

  Christa DeLorenzo and Rachel Widener led the team with nine kills each, while Tammy Custer added eight kills. Tara Seiter finished with seven kills, three aces, and two blocks, and Mandy Metzger recorded a team-high four aces.

  "We were keyed up for this match after being disappointed by our play in the first match," said Swanson. "We played with a real sense of purpose and we outplayed them in the back row. However, we still have plenty of room for improvement."

  On Saturday, the Lady Cougars squared off against Denison University in the final pool play match. Both teams entered the match with unbeaten records and were vying for a berth in the championship match.

  Courtny Testa, MVNC's lone senior, led the way in the first game with six kills as the team won 15-10. The Lady Cougars continued to play well in the second game as they notched a 15-3 win. The Big Red (2-1) took the tightly-contested third game 18-16, but MVNC rebounded to win the fourth game 15-13 to win the match as Amber Rice finished off the game with two straight kills.

  Seiter led the team with 16 kills and seven blocks, while Widener added 13 kills and five blocks. Custer recorded 12 kills, and Testa finished with 10 kills and six blocks. Metzger again led the team with four aces.

  "This was a very competitive match for us," said Swanson. "The third and fourth games were very exciting, and we earned our way into the championship match."

  The championship match featured a battle of two previously unbeaten teams as the Lady Cougars faced Franklin (IN) College, a regionally-ranked Division III team in 1995. The Grizzlies (3-1) took the first two games by the scores of 15-9 and 15-11. Then, MVNC rallied to win the third and fourth games by the scores of 15-6 and 15-8. Once again, rally scoring was used to decide the fifth game, and once again, the Lady Cougars came out victorious by the score of 15-12.

  DeLorenzo led the team with 15 kills in the championship match, and Seiter finished with 13 kills and five blocks.

  "Christa (DeLorenzo) gave us a big lift with her great all-around performance in this match," said Swanson. "Franklin played very well, and that makes this win even better. The team continued to battle and just would not give in."

  "This tournament was perfect for us," added Swanson. "I could not have scripted a better scenario. The team needed to be tested and we were. From a conditioning standpoint, we needed to play long matches. Also, we won both matches that went to rally scoring, and that will give us confidence when we get in that situation again. This was a good way to start the season."

  The Lady Cougars will return to action on Tuesday against the University of Findlay as they began to defend their Mid-Ohio Conference title. The team's NAIA-record 54-match winning streak will also be on the line in that contest.