Despite winning the first set, the College of Wooster volleyball team fell to Westminster College (Pa.) in four sets, 22-25, 25-13, 25-17, 25-15, in the finale of the annual Ginny Hunt Kilt Classic on Saturday. 
 
The Scots (3-7) raced out to a 5-0 lead as first-year Kennedy Muhlenkamp was firing on all cylinders, dishing out assists to junior Kora Burill and junior Jordan Laraway along with a service ace. That run helped Wooster maintain a rather comfortable lead through most of the first set until Westminster's own 5-0 run brought the Titans within one at 20-19.
 
Sophomore Mary-Catherine Werth answered with a huge solo stuff but Westminster (5-4) kept battling and only trailed 22-21 late. Two timely Laraway kills eventually helped put the Scots over the finish line, 25-22.
 
It was Westminster who pulled out ahead in the second frame but first-year Erin Ellis served up all three of her aces on the afternoon during a 5-0 run to make the score 8-7 in favor of the Titans. Westminster swung the momentum back its way with its own 5-0 run and the Titan scoring runs just kept coming. 
 
Back-to-back 5-0 runs helped the Titans build an almost 10-point lead in the third set at 21-8. The Scots never backed down, winning nine of the next 13 points with three kills from first-year Ireland Oswick, but Westminster's lead was too large to surmount as they took the third set.
 
A combination of hitting errors and service errors had Wooster in a 9-1 hole early in the final frame. The Scots struggled to string points together to halt the Titan momentum and ultimately could not force a deciding set. 
 
The Scots' offensive attack was led by Laraway's nine kills while Burill contributed eight of her own. Muhlenkamp notched her second double-double of the tournament with a team-high tying 11 assists and 14 digs.
 
Ellis matched Muhlenkamp with 11 assists as well. Defense shone once again with junior Natalie Hohman and sophomore Catherine Muzilla posting 16 digs each and senior Izzy Cozzie's 14 digs as well. 
 
Veteran Westminster seniors Shelby Rambo and Rachel LaSalvia reached double-digit kills for the Titans with 13 and 11, respectively. Senior Angie Nardone and junior Anna-Kate Davis combined for 37 assists while sophomore Brooke Gecina and junior Liv Trent each surpassed the 20-dig mark. 
 
Blocks were identical at nine each, but Westminster held every other statistical advantage (kills: 53-35; aces: 10-5; assists: 48-30; and digs 97-81). 
 
Wooster travels to Ada on Friday to face off in a tri-match against Ohio Northern University and Albion College at 1 and 4 p.m., respectively. 
 
Ginny Hunt Kilt Classic All-Tournament Team
 
#2 Catherine Muzilla – Wooster
#16 Megan Chiang – Hiram
#5 Jenna Woods – Bluffton
#23 Jamie Robertson – Westminster
#7 Brylie Peters – Oberlin
#16 Lily Shaw – Pitt.- Greensburg