TOURNAMENT INFO | G-MAC CHAMPIONSHIP CENTRAL
CEDARVILLE, Ohio – No. 3 Ohio Dominican outlasted No. 1 Cedarville in five sets to win the G-MAC Volleyball Championship at the Callan Athletic Center.
The Panthers, who were playing in the final for the third straight year, held on for a 25-23, 25-12, 20-25, 21-25, 15-10 victory for their first conference volleyball trophy.
Madelyn Hensley pounded 23 kills for the Lady Jackets, 24-6.
Cassi Shields added 11 kills with five blocks while
Janae Heegaard tallied 11 kills.
Kaley Matney was good for 51 assists and
Alivia Rutt totaled 25 digs.
Cedarville had its 11-match winning streak snapped and a 12-match home string was halted. The Jackets now await for the NCAA Selection Show on Monday for a possible postseason bid.
Quotable: Head Coach Greg Smith
"I'm proud of the team with how we fought back being down 2-0. We were beaten pretty bad in that second set and we could have lost in three. It shows the heart and character of our team to fight back. Overall, I'm just extremely proud of the team and the play today just didn't go our way. ODU is a very good team. It's what we expected. We played them three times and every match went to five sets.
"I absolutely loved this season and the turnaround we had from a year ago. It was a great season, we accomplished a lot, and, unfortunately, we hated to see it end like this."
Stinger Notes:
- Hensley posted her fourth 20-kill performance of the campaign.
- Matney hit 50 assists for the seventh time.
- CU and ODU played three times this season and every match went three sets.
- The Panthers earned the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Division II Championship.
- The Lady Jackets were playing in their first G-MAC Final since 2016.
