Resilient Yellow Jackets fend off Lawrence Tech at home, remain unbeaten in conference

DEFIANCE, Ohio – The Defiance Yellow Jackets outlasted the Lawrence Tech Blue Devils, 3-2 (25-15, 23-25, 31-29, 25-13, 15-11), in front of an energetic crowd at the Karl H. Weaner Center on Friday.

The Yellow Jackets (12-5, 5-0 WHAC) have now won nine consecutive matches and retained first place in the WHAC standings. The Blue Devils (10-3, 3-2 WHAC) lost their second straight match after a home loss in five sets to Aquinas on Wednesday.

DC set the tone with a 25-15 win during the first set by scoring six straight points to turn a two-point lead into eight and eventually 10 shortly after. The Jackets also held a healthy 18-11 lead late in the second before the Blue Devils rallied to even the score.

The next three sets required Defiance to work from behind. The third set was a marathon 31-29 win for Defiance. The Jackets rallied to take the 2-1 set advantage after falling behind 18-8. With the score tied 23-23, DC had set point chances following clutch kills by Lauryn O'Lenic, Shelby Clements, Chaney Brodbeck, Taylor Craft and Jaelyn Tomoletz. A 29-29 tie went DC's way on a Lawrence Tech service error to set up a set-clinching ace by Kylie Yoder.

In the fourth, Lawrence Tech did not waste their early lead of 8-2. Defiance pulled within three points but the Blue Devils hit .303 in the set and took advantage of nine Jacket attack errors to force a fifth set.

The final set of the night did not disappoint as both sides were tied as late as 10-10. Tomoletz and Haley Hammer blocked an LTU attack to take a one-point lead, which was followed by a big swing by Brodbeck to go up by two and later landed match point moments later.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• DC's nine-match winning streak is now the longest since 2013 when the HCAC champs rattled off 12 straight wins.
• The 5-0 start to conference play is also the program's best since 2014 when the team started 8-0.
• Friday's win also improved DC to 2-0 at home this season.
• The win in five sets is the second this season, making the Jackets now 2-1 in five-setters.
• As a team, Defiance carried a .131 hitting percentage, their lowest in a win this season. 
• Defiance had a trio of attackers with double-figure kills: Chaney Brodbeck (14), Shelby Clements (13) and Gabby Rodriguez (10). Taylor Craft, Jaelyn Tomoletz and Lauryn O'Lenic all accounted for the remaining 14 kills.
• Clements led the Jackets defensively with 20 digs followed by 14 more by Brodbeck and 12 by Kylie Yoder.
• At the net, Craft and Tomoletz had four blocks apiece while Rodriguez and Clements each totaled three.

UP NEXT
DC travels to Rochester Christian for a Saturday matinee beginning at 2 p.m. at Garth Pleasant Arena.

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