Entering the midpoint of the conference slate the John Carroll University volleyball team looked to keep itself on the top half of the conference standings. For the second time this week it would come down to a fifth set.
 
For the second time this week the Blue Streaks (18-5, 4-1 OAC) came through for the 25-23, 25-15, 22-25, 23-25, 15-12 win over host Marietta College (9-15, 2-4 OAC) on Saturday afternoon in Marietta.
 
Down 22-17 John Carroll would need to mount a furious rally in the first set. The Blue Streaks rolled 7-1 run to rally back and take the frame 25-23. Sarah Orlandi led the run with three kills with Leah Switalski chipping in with two.
 
The Blue and Gold raced out to a 13-3 lead in the second set. Three kills from freshman Leah Swoboda led the way. JCU kept up the pressure in the set with a kill from Alexa Webber and an ace from Katie Cosker to open an 11-point lead. The Blue and Gold would coast to the 10-point set win.
 
Looking for its 14th sweep of the year, John Carroll could not protect a 22-17 lead in the set. Marietta closed out the set with an 8-0 run led by two kills from Devin Walter.
 
Chloe Janson put Marietta up 14-13 in the fourth set and John Carroll could not recover to take the lead. The Blue Streaks tied the set four time the last at 23 after a block from Orlandi and Svoboda. JCU had a chance to comeback but two untimely hitting errors gave the Pioneers the set.
 
John Carroll never trailed in the fifth set and unlike Tuesday, refused to let Marietta make a late fifth-set run. A kill from Svoboda had the Blue and Gold up five at 9-4. The Pioneers recovered to cut its deficit to two twice before Webber finished the match off.
 
Orlandi led the way with a match-high 16 kills. Svoboda (13) and Switalski (12) joined Orlandi with double-digit kills. Kit O'Shaughnessy picked up a double-double with 49 assists and 14 digs. Sara Kaminski (37 digs) and Cosker (30 digs, career-high) led the way defensively.

With Heidelberg's sweep over Mount Union, John Carroll moves into a 3-way tie for first place with four conference matches remaining.
 
John Carroll returns home to host Baldwin Wallace at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 21.