Fairmont State rallies to defeat Ohio Dominican in four sets
FAIRMONT, W.Va. — Fairmont State defeated Ohio Dominican 3-1 on Tuesday at Joe Retton Arena, with set scores of 18-25, 25-18, 25-21 and 25-21. After dropping the opening set, the Falcons won the final three to take the match. The Falcons hit .143 for the match while holding the Panthers to .103, and the home side finished with 80 digs. The result moved the Falcons to 6-3 and the Panthers to 6-2.
The Falcons pushed in front 12-10 after trailing 9-7, but the Panthers later moved from an 18-17 edge to 22-17 and took the opening set 25-18. Earlier in the set, the Falcons scored the first two points on a Panthers attack error and a Josie Nobbe kill from Belle DeVall, then worked back from a 6-2 deficit as Natalie Zemba, Elena Thompson and Averi Martin supplied kills. Baylie Ostvig’s kill from Zoe Ringer made it 9-8, and after a Panthers error and a Panthers kill, Nobbe’s finish from Ringer tied the set at 10-10 before a Zemba-Ostvig block helped the Falcons move ahead 12-10. The teams traded points through 16-16, with Zemba, Martin and Kailyn Connelly adding kills for the Falcons, but the Panthers created separation late and closed the set on three straight points.
The Falcons took control of the second set early, winning seven of eight rallies from a 1-1 tie to an 8-2 lead behind kills from Nobbe, Averi Martin, Connelly and Ostvig, plus a block by Nobbe and Connelly. Ringer served through the final four points of that stretch, and the Falcons later added four straight points with Nobbe serving, getting kills from Connelly and Ostvig before two Panthers attack errors made it 13-4. The Panthers pushed back late with three straight points to cut the Falcons’ lead to 20-15, but the Falcons answered with the next point and then moved to 23-16 after a Panthers service error and bad set. Ostvig’s kill brought the Falcons to set point, and Zemba and Martin combined on the block that closed a 25-18 set win.
The Falcons turned the third set after falling behind 8-7, winning five of the next six points to move in front 12-9 behind blocks involving Nobbe, Connelly and Thompson, plus kills from Connelly and Ostvig. At the onset of the set, Zemba and Nobbe helped the Falcons settle in after the Panthers scored the first two points, and Nobbe added another kill during a four-point Falcons stretch that made it 6-4. The Falcons later pushed the margin to 21-16 with an Ashton Henrich service ace and a block by Thompson and Zemba. The Panthers worked back within 23-21, but the Falcons closed the set on a Panthers attack error and Averi Martin’s kill from Belle DeVall to finish a 25-21 set win.
The Falcons closed the fourth set by winning the final four points after the Panthers tied it at 21-21, moving back in front on a service error before Grace Devall served an ace and Averi Martin and Connelly combined on the final block for a 25-21 set win. At the start of the fourth, the Falcons built an 8-3 lead behind kills from Averi Martin and Nobbe, with Belle DeVall and Grace Devall each supplying assists during that opening stretch. The Panthers kept cutting into the margin, but the Falcons continued to answer with Thompson repeatedly finishing points and added aces from Henrich and Devall. After the Panthers tied the set at 19-19 and again at 21-21, the Falcons responded each time and finished the set with the decisive closing run.
Nobbe led the Falcons with 10 kills and added five digs. Grace Devall recorded 25 digs and added two service aces. Thompson finished with nine kills and 11 digs. Belle DeVall and Ringer each tallied 19 assists, with DeVall adding 12 digs and Ringer collecting 10.
Fairmont State will head to West Liberty, West Virginia for the Atlantic Region Crossover starting on Friday, September 11. The Falcons will first battle Clarion University at 12:00 p.m. before taking on California University of Pa. at 5:00 p.m.
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