There are times that John Carroll appears to be on the rise, and other times ... not so much.

Such are the peaks and valleys that seem to mark the Blue Streaks' efforts in 2017, and on September 20th at Oberlin College, there would be no derivation from that route. The John Carroll Blue Streaks fell to the Oberlin Yeowomen in four sets, 25-23, 14-25, 25-16 and 25-23.

JCU moved to 3-10 on the season whole Oberlin improved to 9-3. 
 
The first set featured back-and-forth action with both sides putting up gaudy numbers yet struggling to get on a run.  Ultimately, the Yeowomen of Oberlin won the battle, 25-23.  Through just one set, Sarah Calabrese accumulated four kills, three digs, and a block.  Shannon Atwell garnered a kill and nine assists and Sydney Slater had three kills, a dig and a block. 
 
JCU got off to a smoking hot start in the second set, forcing two Oberlin timeouts early as the Streaks went up 9-1.  The Yeowomen were able to rope the score to within four points at 17-13, but the Blue Streaks battled through the adversity, finishing the second set strong by winning eight of the final nine points.
 
The third set was dominated by the Yeowomen.  After a 13-3 run to open the frame, the force proved to be too great for the Streaks, giving the hosts a 2-1 lead.
 
Similar to the first, the fourth set was a grind for both programs.  Still, JCU had a chance to force a fifth set when it took a 22-20 lead. But three Blue Streak errors down the stretch proved costly as Oberlin claimed five of the final six points to seal the match. 
 
The one statistical marker in John Carroll's favor Wednesday night was a decided edge in blocks as JCU held a 7-1 advantage. Slater (5 blocks assists), Thommie Jackson (4 block assists), and Kayla Major (3 block assists) led the way.

Caitlin Cianciolo's 16 digs gave her 260 on the season, keeping her among the top three in the OAC in that category.  Jackson's four blocks put her over 30 for the season and Calabrese achieved the 120 mark for digs.  Shannon Atwell had 23 assists to crack the 300 plateau for the season!