NORTH CANTON, Ohio - Following nearly a month away from the Cecchini Center, the Walsh Cavaliers volleyball team returned home and weathered the Lake Erie College Storm on Friday (Oct. 25) night. 

Walsh improved to 12-6 overall and 5-0 in the G-MAC with a 3-1 (25-22, 25-22, 23-25, 25-18) win over the Storm.

The Cavaliers held off a late Lake Erie rally, despite leading by as many as eight in the first set. Hallie Schroeder capped a 25-22 first set win with a service ace as Walsh led wire-to-wire. Lake Erie led early in set two before a 7-2 Walsh run opened a four point advantage for the Cavaliers. With a 9-5 lead, Walsh grew on the lead as they opened a six point lead at 21-15. The Storm closed the gap but Walsh took a 2-0 lead on a Justine Coffman kill, winning set two 25-22.

Set three was a battle as the set was tied 15 times with 11 lead changes over the course of it. The game was tied seven times in the first 18 points as Lake Erie opened a two-point lead twice. A 4-1 Storm run was answered with six straight points as Walsh took back the 15-14 lead. Four more ties occured until Walsh got four straight kills from the front line, giving Walsh a 22-19 lead. Lake Erie ended set three with a 6-1 run, winning the set 25-23. The fourth set began just like the third set as it was tied 12 times with neither team leading by more than two. Trailing 15-14, Walsh rallied and took the match with an 11-3 run with ten kills by Walsh. The Cavaliers won set four 25-18 and the match 3-1.

Walsh hit .300 for the match, including .439 in the fourth set. Four players ended in double-digit kills in the match. Schroeder finished with 17 kills and 18 digs, tying a season-high for kills. Alexis Gilland ended with 15 kills and seven digs. Lauren Loucks hammered home 14 kills while Amber King had 11 kills. Olivia Kearns had a season-high 56 assists with 12 digs and four kills. Sam Wentz led the back line with 16 digs while Sydnee Marks dug out 11 attacks and Natalie Brutscher had ten digs. 

The Cavaliers have a quick turnaround with Ursuline coming to town at 1:00 PM on Saturday (Oct. 26)

-WC-