UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS - The College of Wooster volleyball team concluded the North Coast Athletic Conference portion of its schedule with a straight-set loss to John Carroll University, 25-17, 25-16, 25-15. 
 
The first set was competitive as both John Carroll (17-8, 4-3 NCAC) and Wooster (9-14, 1-6 NCAC) were neck and neck through the first 20 points played. Neither team was able to gain more than a two-point advantage until halfway through the frame when a 4-0 run helped the Blue Streaks build some momentum.
 
Coming out of a timeout, the Scots won three of the next four points and a kill from first-year Claire Buchholz kept Wooster within striking distance down 18-15. Another John Carroll run, this time at 5-1, eventually put the set out of reach and gave the Blue Streaks the early lead. 
 
John Carroll carried the momentum into the second set, racing out to a 5-1 lead and forcing Wooster to burn an early timeout. The Scots put an end to the run thanks to a kill from sophomore Tamarra Talbert.
 
John Carroll's serve proved to be an issue throughout the set, tallying four aces to keep the Wooster offense off-balance. The Scots applied some late pressure with a pair of kills from Buchholz, a block from sophomore Kennedy Muhlenkamp and senior Kora Burill and a Burill kill, but it was not enough to erase an eight-point deficit. 
 
Wooster stayed step-for-step early in the third set as a Talbert kill followed by an ace from first-year Lillian Beasley kept the Scots within two points at 9-7. Then it was Wooster applying the block pressure, particularly the Burill-Buchholz combo at the net.
 
Back-to-back Blue Streak aces helped John Carroll build a late lead, though, and that proved to be too much to overcome. 
 
Buchholz reached the double-digit kill mark for the seventh time this season with 10 kills to lead the Scots' offense. Muhlenkamp dished out 24 assists while senior Jordan Laraway and junior Catherine Muzilla manned the defense with 12 and 10 digs, respectively.
 
Senior Mary Kate Sheehan had the game-high of 11 kills for the Blue Streaks thanks to the strong direction of senior Tess Murray's 34 assists. Junior Olivia Mogyordy and senior Natalie Glowe recorded 14 and 12 digs, respectively. 
 
Muhlenkamp and Muzilla continue to eye career milestones toward the end of the season as Muhlenkamp now holds 978 assists for her career while Muzilla has recorded 937 digs. 
 
John Carroll's biggest advantage throughout the match was its service pressure, tallying 12 aces to Wooster's one. However, the Scots held the line at the net with eight total blocks to the Blue Streaks' three.
 
The remaining statistical categories were a little more evenly matched although John Carroll held the advantage in kills (41-31), hitting percentage (.255 to .175), assists (39-26) and digs (46-39). 
 
Wooster returns to Timken Gymnasium for one last home match this season, taking on Wilmington College at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday.