SPRINGFIELD, Ohio. – The Elmhurst volleyball team rounded out the Wittenberg Tournament with a four-set loss to the host Tigers.

Elmhurst (6-4, 1-0 CCIW) finishes the weekend 1-2, including a victory over No. 19 Washington University (Mo.) yesterday. The Bluejays got off to a hot start against the Tigers (6-2), winning the first four points and jumping out to 6-1 and 12-4 leads in the opening set. Trailing 20-16, Wittenberg charged back to take the set 25-22 by winning nine of the final 11 points.

In the second set, it was the Tigers who ran out to a 4-0 lead, but Elmhurst battled back to tie the score at seven. Wittenberg took the next point and never trailed again in the set, holding on late to take a two-set lead 25-21.

Trailing early in the third, Elmhurst ripped off six straight points and nine of 11 to pull ahead 16-13. With the set tied at 17, the Bluejays took the third 25-20 on the back of kills by Hannah Davis (three), Mel Lundin (two), Alli Rogers, and Melissa Nava.

Neither team took a lead of more than two points until late in the fourth set. Wittenberg rallied for five straight points to open up a 21-15 lead and held off another late Bluejay surge to take the match in four.

Elmhurst hit .181 for the contest with 51 kills and 21 errors on 166 swings. Davis, Nava, and Hannah Nimrick (.500 hitting percentage) all posted 10 kills in the match, while Mary Lawrence hit .389 with eight kills and just one error on 18 attempts. Nimrick ended with a triple-double, adding 29 assists and 16 digs. Amy Schryver led the squad with 36 digs and was named to the all-tournament squad for her performance. 

Wittenberg hit just a little better than the Bluejays at .186 (53 kills, 24 errors, 156 attempts). Maddie Fischer was the only player to total double-digit kills, finishing with a match-high 21, while hitting .370. Karen Wildemann had 32 assists and four Tigers recorded 10-plus digs.

Elmhurst continues CCIW play this Tuesday, September 20 when they travel to Carroll University for a 7:00 p.m. start.