By: Ryan Gasser, sports information director

GRANVILLE, Ohio – Kasey Parkhurst set another career high on the offensive end while Bryanna Masters recorded her first career double-double, yet the Capital University volleyball team was unable to escape with a win when playing Denison University in the Livingston Gymnasium on Wednesday night. The Big Red came from behind down two sets to one to defeat the Crusaders, 3-2 (21-25, 27-25, 17-25, 25-14, 15-9).

Capital (4-5) had Denison on the ropes after the first three sets. After battling through the second and breaking set point once, the Big Red evened the score following a kill by freshman Emma Woerner and a Capital attack error. The Crusaders stormed back to answer with a demonstrative win in the third set, using a five-point run with freshman Morgan Tripp (Jupiter, Fla./Jupiter Community) at the service line. A pair of aces plus two kills from senior Kasey Parkhurst (Castalia, Ohio/Margaretta) helped Capital create the space necessary to guide them to a 25-17 win and face a chance to beat Denison on their home court.

Woerner helped the Big Red come back with five kills in the fourth set to help create a five-point edge for the hosts. She then took to the service line and guided another miniature run to widen the gap to as many as 10 points. Despite Denison tying the match, 2-2, Capital was not yet out of it.

Tripp added a third service ace to help give Cap an early lead in the fifth and final set, but the Big Red returned fire to tie the set at three. Denison then went on four-point run fueled by a kill and block at the net. Capital kept it close, trailing by two following a block by freshman Bryanna Masters (Ashland, Ohio/Ashland) and Leighann Osborne, but one final jolt from the Big Red put the match away. Woerner recorded four more kills to account for four of the last five Denison points to win the race to 15, and the match.

Despite the loss, Capital put up some large individual numbers up and down the lineup. Parkhurst reset her career high for kills in a single match, putting down 22 on Wednesday night. Her previous best was 21, which she has accomplished twice this season. Parkhurst posted more digs than she did kills (24) and tallied her fifth double-double of the year.

Parkhurst was one of three Capital players to record at least 20 digs in the match. Joining her was Jaelin Rios (24) and Masters (20). With Masters' 20 digs and 12 kills, that marked the freshman's first career double-double effort of her collegiate career. In addition, Masters also added two service aces, three block assists, one solo block, and hit at a .235 clip for the match.

Morgan Tripp and Alexa Jeffers split setting responsibilities and combined for 43 total assists. Tripp led the team with 25, and tallied her fourth double-double of the year by adding 13 digs.

On the net, Jessica Gavlak (Sheffield Village, Ohio/Lutheran West) paced Cap with seven of the team's 18 block assists, plus one solo block. With 11 total blocks, this match served as Capital's best performance on the block this season.

Woerner led Denison (7-2) with 15 kills but committed 11 errors in the process. She tallied a double-double behind 15 digs, as well.

Capital will play in the Ginny Hunt Kilt Classic, hosted by The College of Wooster, this weekend. Play will begin on Friday night at 5 p.m. when the Crusaders take on the host Fighting Scots and then return to play the University of Pittsburgh-Bradford at 7 p.m.