TIFFIN, Ohio - The Walsh Cavaliers volleyball team went to Tiffin for a battle with the Tiffin Dragons on Friday (Feb. 5) night, pitting two of the top three teams in the G-MAC Preseason Coaches Poll against each other. The Cavaliers exacted revenge on the Dragons with a 3-0 sweep on the road.

Score: Walsh 3, Tiffin 0 (25-22, 25-23, 25-18)
Location: Tiffin, Ohio (Gillmor Center)
Records: Walsh 4-1 (4-1), Tiffin 3-1 (3-1)
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• Walsh jumped out to a 5-1 lead in the first set, the largest lead of the opening set. The teams were tied eight times in the set. After Tiffin tied the set at 22, Walsh scored the final three points for a 25-22 win. Grace Lindquist and Olivia Maczuzak capped the set with back-to-back kills in the first set.
• Tiffin scored the first six points of the second set as they led 6-0, forcing a timeout from Walsh. Walsh got as close as four points before the Dragons pushed the lead to as many as ten. Trailing 20-10, the Cavaliers rallied with a 15-3 run and stunned the Dragons for set number two. During the run, Walsh accounted for three aces, four combined block assists, seven kills and took advantage of five Tiffin errors. Late in the set, Walsh tied the set at 23 with a Maczuzak kill. After a combined block from Sydney Dixon and Amber King, Maczuzak sealed the comeback with a kill as Walsh won 25-23. 
• Both teams tied three times and exchanged the lead twice in the first eight points of the set as it was tied at four each. Walsh expanded the lead to five twice in the set, as Tiffin called timeout down 11-6 and 18-13. Walsh went on to win the set 25-18.

FOR THE CAVALIERS

• Olivia Maczuzak led the Cavaliers with a career-high 18 kills on 50 total attacks. She finished with a team-high .260 hitting percentage along with 16 digs and two block assists. Maczuzak had seven kills in each of the first two sets and six digs in each of the final two sets. 
• Sydney Dixon finished with her third double-double of the season with ten kills and a career-best 16 digs as well as four block assists. The freshman had ten digs alone in the second set.
• Grace Lindquist was a force on offense and defense with seven kills and a career-high six block assists, including four of them in the final set.
• Amber King had two solo blocks and assisted on three other blocks.
• Natalie Brutscher set a career-high with 21 digs. Brutscher compiled seven digs in the first, nine in the second and five in the third set.
• Olivia Kearns had 40 assists (season-high) and seven digs on her scoresheet.
• Sam Wentz was the fourth player in double-figures for digs with 11. 

FOR THE DRAGONS

• Grace Schreiber had 11 kills to lead Tiffin's offense. 
• Loryn Huffman scored a double-double with 33 assists and 13 digs.
• The defense was led by Sam Fallis, who had 23 digs. 

BEHIND THE NUMBERS 

• Walsh outhit Tiffin .205 to .091 in the match. The Cavaliers hit .279 in the first set for their best set while Tiffin's .208 in the opening set was the benchmark.
• The Cavs finished with 11 total blocks (two solos and 18 block assists), a season-best.

NOTABLE

• Walsh's 78 digs was the third highest for a three-set match in the D2 era.
• The Cavaliers snapped a six-match losing streak to Tiffin, earning their first win against the Dragons since 11/18/14.
• When Walsh hits above .200, the Cavaliers are 3-0 this year and 18-3 in two seasons under Jayme Plummer. 

NEXT UP

• Walsh will return home to face the Ohio Dominican Panthers next Friday (Feb. 12) night at Alumni Arena, beginning at 7:00 PM. The Cavaliers were slated to face #22 Gannon on Tuesday but that match has been canceled due to COVID-19 protocols. 

-WC-