By Nicholas Huenefeld/Owens Sports Information
Elyria, Ohio---The No. 8 Owens Community College women's volleyball team had three players record at least 10 digs in a 25-23, 25-22, 25-17 conference win over Lorain County Community College on the road tonight.
A team effort was consistent across the board. Nobody recorded double digit kills, but four players had at least five. Erika Hartings (Coldwater/Coldwater, Ohio) had a team-high nine, while Taylor Purcell (Bedford/Temperance, Mich.), Macy Reigelsperger (Coldwater/Coldwater, Ohio) and Abigail Hesselschwardt (Otsego/Grand Rapids, Ohio) had eight, six and five, respectively.
The tandem of Christine Tylutki (Monroe/Monroe, Mich.) and Deanna Smith (Riverview/Riverview, Mich.) had 30 of the team's 31 assists, with Tylutki recording the most with 17.
Brooke Gyori (Clay/Oregon, Ohio) had a team-high 22 digs, although Ally Mikesell (St. Henry/St. Henry, Ohio) added 13 and Tylutki had 10. Reigelsperger and Samantha Reer (St. Paul/Norwalk, Ohio) each chipped in six, as well.
Hartings, Gyori and Annie Lindeman (Ottoville/Ottoville, Ohio) had the team's three aces.
At the net, Reigelsperger and Tyanna Smith (Bowling Green/Bowling Green, Ohio) led the team with three blocks. Reigelsperger had one solo among her three, while Smith had two solo among hers. Hartings and Tylutki each had contributed two blocks, as well.
Owens is now 16-5 overall. With the win tonight, they also remain perfect in Ohio Community College Athletic Conference (OCCAC) play at 7-0, which further solidifies their stranglehold on first place halfway through the conference season.
Owens is back in action this weekend with four tough matches in the Grand Rapids Community College Invitational in Grand Rapids, Mich. Among their four matches are tilts with No. 10 McHenry County College (22-5) and No. 14 St. Clair County Community College (20-1). They will also face Oakland Community College and Kellogg Community College.
Notes
With tonight's match, Deanna Smith is six assists away from 400 this year and 14 away from 1,200 in her career.
Owens has four players with at least 145 digs through the team's first 21 matches led by Gyori (353) and followed by Mikesell (224), Tylutki (166) and Reigelsperger (145).
Hartings is now three-quarters of the way to 1,000 career kills after tonight's nine kill match. She sits at 754. Reigelsperger is right behind her with 731.