MARION, Ind. --- In a big top-25 bout on the road, the Bethel Pilots Women's Volleyball team (21-4, 9-4) fell to the undefeated NAIA second-ranked Indiana Wesleyan Wildcats (24-0, 13-0).
The Wildcats took control out of the gate with a 10-4 run, with freshman Taylor Delp disrupting the run with a kill, then IWU maintained a 5+ point lead to take set one 25-15.
The second set started highly contested, with Michaela Whitaker putting the Pilots within one point with a kill to make it 5-4. Cheyanne Seymour tied the set at 18-18, and an attack error from Eva Joldersma a few points later allowed Bethel to take their first lead of the match.
After a massive back and forth, Delp capped off the second set with a kill for the 25-22 set victory.
IWU bounced back from an early Pilot 2-0 lead in the third with a 5-0 run, but it was short-lived, with Seymour tying the set at 10-10. The Pilots fell behind but took advantage of a Wildcat attack error to tie at 19-19, then tie again at 20 all, but the Wildcats won the third set 25-21.
Bethel still had fight in them opening set four with a 5-2 run and held the lead until two kills by IWU's Martina Demarchi, and an attack error tied the set 8-8. After tying again 9-9, Whitaker had two straight kills to lead 12-9.
Once again, the set was tied 19 all, but the Wildcats overcame a 22-22 tie with two kills and a Pilot attack error to seal the set 25-22 and the match 3-1.
INSIDE THE BOXSCORE
- Isabelle Greene is eight kills away from tying for 10th overall in career kills.
- Taylor Delp hit 11 kills for the third time this season, her second-most in a match.
- As a freshman setter, Haley Biedenbach is 98 assists from reaching the 1,000 assists milestone.
?NEXT TIME OUT
The Pilots host the Spring Arbor Cougars on Friday, Oct. 20, in the Gates Gymnasium at 7 p.m. before hosting a vital match with the NAIA 19th-ranked Mount Vernon Nazarene Cougars, who are currently tied with Bethel for second place in the Crossroads League standings.
Bethel is 23-9 overall against Spring Arbor and has won 11 straight matches in the series. In September, the Pilots won 3-1 in Spring Arbor, Mich., in the last meeting between these two schools.
For the latest information on each of Bethel University's 31 intercollegiate athletic teams, visit BUPilots.com or follow the Pilots on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram at @BUPilots or on YouTube at /BethelSportsNetwork.
