FINDLAY, Ohio - Redshirt junior
Jaide Wirth delivered a career-high 17 kills while hitting .483 to lead Davenport past California (Pa.) in four sets Saturday morning at the Findlay Classic.
After dropping the opening set 25-22, the Panthers answered with three consecutive victories, 25-10, 25-17 and 25-17, to finish their season-opening tournament with a 2-1 record. DU hit .342 as a team, highlighted by 17 kills and a .500 attacking percentage in the second set.
Abby Alan added 15 kills, 12 digs and two aces for her first double-double of the season, while
Hayley Carr anchored the back row with a team-high 18 digs.
Davenport fell behind early in the opening set before kills from
Karley Pretzer and Alan pulled the score even at three. The two sides remained close throughout the frame, with blocks by
Amelia Werner and Pretzer helping DU stay within reach.
California (Pa.) created separation late, but kills from Wirth and quality distribution from
Madison Berry helped the Panthers trim the deficit to 23-21. DU pulled within two again at 24-22 before the Vulcans closed out the set on the following point.
The Panthers responded with their most dominant set of the tournament. Kills from Alan,
Mariya Montgomery and
Livi Overbeek, along with a block by Pretzer and Montgomery, fueled a 4-0 start. DU continued to apply pressure and stretched its lead to 12-4 behind contributions from Werner and Wirth.
Alan later delivered consecutive aces to push the margin to 19-7. Davenport never allowed the Vulcans back into the frame, putting away 17 kills and hitting .500 on its way to a commanding second-set victory.
With the match tied, DU took control of the third behind its work from the service line. An ace from Carr pulled the Panthers even early before Wirth connected on multiple swings during a stretch that moved Davenport ahead 8-5.
Julia Frederick added an ace and helped DU extend its lead during a productive turn at the service line.
Keira Dommer kept the offense moving as Wirth and Alan continued to find openings in the Vulcan defense. Dommer eventually finished the set herself, sending down a kill to give Davenport a 2-1 advantage in the match.
Davenport carried its momentum into the fourth, jumping ahead 3-0 on kills from Alan and Montgomery. A block by
Rachel Youngblood and Werner helped stretch the lead to 7-3 before the Panthers widened the margin to 13-8.
Wirth took over during the closing stretch, contributing multiple kills as DU moved in front 21-13. She also delivered the final two points of the match, putting away consecutive swings to complete the victory.
Wirth led all players with her career-high 17 kills, committing just three attack errors on 29 attempts. Alan recorded 15 kills, 12 digs and two aces, while Carr collected 18 digs.
Dommer directed the offense with a match-high 31 assists and converted her only attack of the contest. Berry added 16 assists as the Panthers completed the match with a .342 hitting percentage.
Up Next
Davenport will return to Grand Rapids for the Hampton Inn and Suites Grand Rapids Downtown Classic. The Panthers will play four non-conference matches on their home court during the two-day tournament.
