The College of Wooster volleyball team scored the final 11 points of its 23-25, 25-16, 25-21, 25-14 win over Bethany College, which capped day one of the Saint Vincent College Bearcat Challenge for the Fighting Scots.

Balance across the attack carried Wooster (2-1) in the 25-16 second set as five players logged multiple kills, and as a team, Wooster hit .353 in the frame. Sophomore Tamarra Talbert's kill broke a 13-13 tie and was the first of eight straight Wooster points. A Bethany attack error upped Wooster's lead to 21-13. Two kills from sophomore setter Kennedy Muhlenkamp helped move the frame to set point before she served up a match-tying ace.

In the third, Wooster leaned on the hot hand of first-year Claire Buchholz, who put away six kills on nine error-free swings. The first-year added four digs and five in-play receptions in the 25-21 set. Her sixth kill of the set upped the lead to 22-18 and was the first of three straight points that brought Wooster to set point.

Sophomore Caitlin Walsh-Knouff took over in the final set, logging five kills on eight swings to go with three digs and two blocks. Another late Wooster rally of length did not stop after the set was tied at 14. Buchholz served up consecutive aces in the early stages of the Scots' match-ending 11-0 run before Walsh-Knouff flat out dominated the stat sheet. The sophomore lefty teamed up with Talbert on back-to-back blocks then fired off three straight kills.

Buchholz logged a collegiate-best 14 kills and turned in her first double-double with a match-high 17 digs. The Wayne County product went 18-of-19 on serve receive and added five aces. Fellow Wayne County native Walsh-Knouff backed that up with 11 kills and five digs. Junior Catherine Muzilla added 16 digs from the libero position, while Muhlenkamp passed out 40 assists.

Megan Chesser and Ashton Thomas had eight kills each for Bethany. Maddie Koprivec led the defense with 14 digs.

Earlier on Friday, Wooster opened the Bearcat Challenge with a 25-12, 25-19, 25-16 loss to Grove City College.

Sophomore Ava Hills kick-started Wooster's strongest stretch in the second set with a kill that pulled the Fighting Scots' within 14-8. Classmate Evelyn Hackney denied Lily Lagaras at the net, and senior Jordan Laraway followed with an ace to make it a four-point set. A Grove City attack error wrapped up Wooster's 4-0 run. Hills, who made her collegiate debut in the match after missing last year with an injury, stuffed the stat sheet with four of her five kills in the second frame.

Early-set runs from Grove City in sets one and three comfortably put the Wolverines ahead. Annie Atwood led Grove City's attack with nine kills on 17 swings with just two misfires. As a team, Grove City put away 40 kills and hit .255 for the match.

Wooster was led by Laraway's six kills against Grove City. Senior Natalie Hohman and Muzilla paced the defense with a combined 20 digs.

Wooster has two matches left at the Bearcat Challenge, with the Scots slated to face Westminster College at 2 p.m. on Saturday before capping the weekend with a 6 p.m. showcase match against host St. Vincent.