"Malone"

  The MVNC women's volleyball team used great play in the back row to dominate Malone College 15-0, 15-5, 15-5 in Mid-Ohio Conference action on Tuesday night.

  The Lady Cougars (23-7, 11-1) started the first game off on a roll as Mandy Metzger served the team to a 4-0 lead with two aces. After two sideouts, Tara Seiter served the lead to 9-0 as Courtny Testa added a block and a kill during the span.

  Good serving continued to be the theme of the first game as Rachel Widener and Metzger combined to finish off the game. Seiter added two kills, including a booming one to end the game.

  The hitting of Widener and the blocking of Seiter helped MVNC to an early 6-0 lead in the second game. After Malone (10-10, 4-6) cut the lead to 7-3, Testa served the Lady Cougars to an 11-3 margin. After the two teams traded points, Metzger and Seiter finished off the game with back-to-back kills for a 15-5 victory.

  The third game was a see-saw battle early on as MVNC took a 7-5 advantage. However, the Lady Cougars went on to score the final eight points for a 15-5 win. Amber Rice led the way with three kills, three block assists, and an ace.

  "We executed really well in the back row tonight," said MVNC head coach Paul Swanson. "When we do that, it gets our offense going and we get lots of opportunities to attack the ball. We played well from beginning to end and the scores reflect that."

  Seiter led the team with 12 kills and six blocks, while Widener finished with seven kills and four blocks. Christa DeLorenzo and Tammy Custer each added five kills, while Testa recorded four blocks and three aces. Metzger served up a team-high six aces, one shy of the school record.

  The Lady Cougars will return to action on Thursday night when they host Tiffin University in another MOC match in the Physical Education Center.