Win over Hope gives volleyball first 23-win season since 1994

ORANGE, Calif. – With a three-set win over Hope International University on Wednesday night, the Chapman University volleyball team improved its record to 23-8, which ties the school's Division III single-season wins mark set back in 1994. The team closed out its home schedule with the win (25-14, 25-13, 25-18) on Senior Night, and improved its record to 6-1 this year at home.

Chapman (23-8) closed out its regular season by winning 11 of its last 12 matches. The Panthers, ranked No. 5 in the West Region, now await their postseason fate which the NCAA will announce on Sunday night.

With the first game tied 6-6, Chapman used a 5-0 run highlighted by a pair of service aces from sophomore S Corrine Ostrovsky to take control. Hope International (5-23) answered with consecutive points on a pair of Chapman errors to move within three points at 11-8 which as close as Hope International would get in the first game. Senior MB Nalani Haviland closed out the first-game win with a kill for Chapman. She had two kills and two digs in her last home game for Chapman.

Hope International led briefly (1-0 and 3-2) in the second set before Chapman took the lead 4-3 after back-to-back kills by junior MB Kate Ferrin. The Royals hung within three or four points until the middle of the game when they committed four-straight attack errors to push the Panthers lead to 18-11. Ferrin tied for a team-high with 12 digs.

The final game played out similar to the second game as Chapman led for much of the way, with the exception of when the score was briefly tied 3-3. Chapman built its lead to as many as eight points at 20-12 in the third game after a Hope International attack error.

Chapman had just seven attack errors on the night compared with 22 by Hope International. The Royals were led by the seven kills from freshman RS Rebecca Hicks and 18 digs by senior L Casey Issenmann. Senior OH Sine Schirmer also added six kills and 13 digs.

For Chapman, junior OH Ashleigh Gideon had a double-double with 12 kills and 14 digs. Senior L Alyssa Swatek had a game-high 21 digs while Ostrovsky and freshman S Morgan Slater both added 12 digs.

by Chris Watts
Sports Information Assistant

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Boxscore: http://www.chapmanathletics.com/sports/wvball/2011-12/box_scores/20111102_z0js.xml