GAMBIER – The College of Wooster volleyball team fell in straight sets to Kenyon College, 25-23, 25-18, 25-17, to open North Coast Athletic Conference play on Saturday.
 
Wooster got off to a slow start, opening with the game's first serve but allowing the first seven points to go Kenyon's away. A service error put Wooster on the board and four straight points pulled them back into the set.
 
The Scots pulled to within one point at 11-10 and did not get closer until later in the set when Catherine Muzilla scored an ace to tie it up at 22.
 
The teams traded points to 23-all until Kenyon connected on a pair of kills to put away the set.
 
In the second set, Kenyon pulled away midway through. Four straight points turned a one-point set into 11-7. They had another run of three points to make it 16-10 and built enough of a cushion to take a 2-0 lead.
 
The final set mirrored the second, with Kenyon expanding a 13-12 lead with three straight points to make it 16-12. The final blow was scoring four straight to make it 22-15 and soon clinching the match.  
 
Wooster senior Izzy Cozzie led the team with nine kills, only behind the game-high 16 from Kenyon's Mariyah Rumpca-Veronese.
Tamarra Talbert, Jordan Laraway and Kora Burill each recorded five kills.
 
Muzilla tallied a pair of aces and tied with Cozzie for a team-high 13 digs. First-year Erin Ellis had a team-high 15 assists.
 
The team had an attack percentage of .158 to Kenyon's .261.
 
For Kenyon (2-13, 1-0 NCAC), Hannah Schwemm led the game with 26 assists and 16 digs.
 
Wooster could not knock off the Owls for the second year in a row after defeating them 3-1 in late October of last year.
 
Next, Wooster (3-11, 0-1 NCAC)  hosts Oberlin College for their home opener in NCAC play on Friday.