Oct. 30 – NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. – Led by a trio of career-high performances from sophomore Dylana McKenzie (Hopewell, Ohio/West Muskingum), junior Mackenzie Lauber (Mansfield, Ohio/Madison Mansfield) and sophomore Haley Santymire (Clifton, Va./Centreville), the Bethany College volleyball program (23-12, 15-2) notched a 3-1 victory over Westminster College on Thursday evening. The Bison won the match by scores of 25-20, 27-29, 25-23, 25-22.

In game number one, the Titans came out on a mission, holding the Bison to a .000 hitting percentage over the first half of the game to jump out to a quick, 15-7 lead. Bethany would battle back, however, using a 6-0 run to cut the game to 15-13. Kills by Dakota McKenzie (Hopewell, Ohio/West Muskingum) and Lynsie Mandt (Columbus, Ohio/Worthington Kilbourne) helped fuel the run as the Bison pulled within two.

With the Bison still down two at 20-18, the Green & White would overcome the Titans, using a 7-0 run to end the game. Arielle Sanders (Maple Heights, Ohio/Maple Heights) would prove to be the catalyst of the run, notching three of her four kills in the set, including the game winner to give Bethany the 25-20 win in game one.

The Titans once again ran out to an early five-point lead in game two, going up early, 9-4. The Bison would battle back again, however, using a five-point run which included two kills by Dylana McKenzie (Hopewell, Ohio/West Muskingum) to tie the game at 9-9. The lead would then change hands four times before the Titans finally took the set, 29-27, tying the game at 1-1.

Just like set two, the third set was also tightly contest, with the Bison pulling out a 25-23 win. The game was a back-and-forth affair through the first 32 points as neither team held more than a two-point advantage. With the game tied at 16-16, the Bison put together a four-point run which included two kills by Dakota McKenzie.

Still holding a four-point lead, the Bison moved to game point, 24-20, on an ace by Alexis Castro. However, two Bison miscues and a service ace by Anna Thompson pulled the Titans within a point at 24-23. On the very next play, however, Sanders put the game away with a kill to give Bethany the 25-23 game-three victory and a 2-1 advantage in the match. Dylana McKenzie led the way for the Green & White in set three, totaling seven kills in the game.

The decisive fourth set saw the teams tied at 12-12 before the Bison went on a four-point run to take a 16-12 advantage. Dylana McKenzie got the run going with two consecutive kills and was followed by two service aces from Alexis Castro (Lorain, Ohio/Lorain) which gave Bethany the four-point lead. The Bison's lead would then fluctuate between one and four points, with the Green & White never relinquishing the lead. The final blow was dealt on a kill by Dakota McKenzie, giving Bethany the 25-22 win in set four, and the match victory, 3-1.

In the win Dylana McKenzie, Lauber, and Santymire all notched career highs. McKenzie, who had not eclipsed 20 kills yet in her career, finished the game with 23 kills on the night. She now sits just 25 kills away from the 400 mark, which would give the Bison two 400-kill performers in the same season for the first time under head coach Courtney Kline (Dakota McKenzie eclipsed 400 in the team's previous contest.)

Other offensive kill leaders included Dakota Mckenzie (19), Mandt (10) and Sanders (nine). Lauber finished the contest with 63 assists, besting her career mark of 60 which she set against St. Vincent earlier in the season.

Defensively, Santymire led the team to 79 total digs, finishing the contest with a career-best 19. Mandt also had 19 in the win, notching her eighth double-double of the season. Other dig leaders included Kelly Becquet (Finleyville, Pa./Ringgold) who totaled 15, and Julia Mouch (Toledo, Ohio/Sylvania Southview), who finished the contest with 14.

With the victory today, as well as a victory against Waynesburg on Nov. 1, will assure the Bison at least the number two seed in the upcoming Presidents' Athletic Conference Championship Tournament. Currently the Bison are tied for first place with both Geneva College and Thomas More with the Saints and Golden Tornadoes playing tomorrow. The Bison will face the Yellow Jackets in their final conference game of the season as part of a tri-match with Waynesburg and Kenyon College. Bethany and Waynesburg are scheduled to start at 11 a.m., with senior day festivities to precede the contest.