COLUMBUS, Ohio -- On Saturday, the Capital University volleyball program hosted a tri-match featuring OAC foe, the University of Mount Union and NCAC opponent, Denison University. 

Both matches proved to be an uphill battle for the Comets (3-13, 0-6 OAC), as they fell in both matches by a margin of three sets to none. Against Mount Union in match one, the Purple Raiders emerged with set wins of 25-14, 25-19, and 25-19, while the Big Red took the sets in match two by scores of 25-17, 25-12, and 25-16. 

COMET HIGHLIGHTS:
Miranda Jordan picked up her 500th career dig against Mount Union, while Erin O'Connell scooped up a combined 50 digs in the two matches. Delanie Nahikian was the offensive leader with 20 combined kills. 

MATCH ONE: MOUNT UNION WINS 3-0
The Purple Raiders grabbed a hold of control in the match early on as they dominated set one enroute to a 25-14 win. Mount connected on 14 kills on just 28 attacks in the first set, while Capital landed just nine first-set kills. The Purple Raiders also held the advantage in fewer errors as they had just two errant attacks, while Cap had four miscues offensively. 

In the second set Capital looked to get going early behind a handful of setting mistakes from Mount Union. Eventually, a kill from Alissa Holler tied the set at eight each. Unfortunately, the tie would be as close as the Comets would come as five straight Mount Union points separated the sides for good, leading to a 25-19 set win for Mount.

The third set started much brighter for Capital as Erin O'Connell stayed on the service line for four straight points. A pair of kills from Delanie Nahikian, one from Larissa Smith and a Mount attack error led to the quick lead. Eventually, Cap had built a lead as large at 14-8 in the set, looking to keep themselves alive in the match. Unfortunately from that moment, the Purple Raiders rattled off seven consecutive points to flip the script. After a brief halt of the run, four more points in a row for the visitors did the job as Mount pulled off the comeback set win to clinch the match.

In the match, Nahikian (10 kills) and Smith (nine kills) led the team offensively. Smith's nine kills came on 22 attacks and no errors, good for a .409 hitting clip. Jordyn Hoffman led the team with 20 assists. 

Defensively, Erin O'Connell led all players with 25 digs in the back row. Miranda Jordan contributed 11 digs in the match as well. With her seventh dig of the match, Jordan eclipsed the 500 dig mark in her career wearing the Purple and White.

Up front, Caleigh Hamby, Nahikian, Smith and Holler were all in at least one block. In the service game, Smith led the team with two aces, while Nahikian, O'Connell and Hoffman all had one ace each. 

MATCH TWO: DENISON WINS 3-0
The first set started strong for the Comets after a Delanie Nahikian kill, but six straight points by the Big Red forced coach Nikki Van Cleave to call her first timeout early on. Out of that debrief, Capital responded sharply for three straight points, but could not muster enough of a run to trouble Denison over the course of the set. In the end, Cap dropped the set 25-17. 

The second set was a near carbon copy of the first as Van Cleave was forced to call her first breather at 7-1. The first breakpoint did okay for Capital, but not enough as Van Cleave exhausted her second timeout with the score at 15-5 in favor of the Big Red. The timeout seemed to help, but only briefly as Denison ran out 25-12 set winners to take a commanding 2-0 lead in the match.

Across the third set, the Comets held tough, but in the end, Denison truly showed why they have gone undefeated against the OAC this season by finishing off an afternoon of clean volleyball. The Big Red claimed the third set by a scoreline of 25-16. 

In the second match, Nahikian once again led the lines as she tallied up 10 kills. Jordyn Hoffman had a big impact on the offense as she racked up 17 assists, while also putting down four kills on just six attack attempts. 

In the back row Erin O'Connell matched her match one dig total with 25 more against the Big Red. Paree Furness added 12 to contribute well for Cap. At the net, Caleigh Hamby was once again heavily involved as she tallied four total blocks. Nahikian, Smith, Hoffman and Lindsay Rich were also in on blocks in the match. Furness picked up Cap's only ace against Denison. 

UP NEXT:
Capital will travel down I-70 East to Muskingum University on Wednesday for a midweek OAC contest. First serve in New Concord is scheduled for 7 p.m.