Box Score TIFFIN -- Fighting their way to a victory, the Heidelberg University volleyball team defeated Baldwin Wallace on Wednesday night. After falling to two nationally ranked teams last weekend, they pulled out a much-needed five-set win – 23-25, 25-22, 23-25, 25-18, 16-14. The victory ties the two teams 2-4 in the OAC.

Leading the way on the attack was Ashley Foster, hitting .429 and setting a career-high of 16 kills. Close behind was Anamaya Truex who had 14, hitting .452. Lexi Evak followed with ten of her own.

At the net, Foster also led at six blocks. Truex had four herself, while Evak and Grace Porter each claimed three. 

Heidelberg (7-16) started out strong, putting up an early three consecutive points on the Yellow Jackets (11-10) to make the score 3-1. After that, the opponents built off of momentum going on a 12-2 run before Head Coach Jason Miller called a time out. Storming back into the game, Heidelberg turned the tables to go on a 10-4 run of their own and brought the count within two. Though HU was up 23-22, Baldwin Wallace took three straight points to win the first set. 

Keeping within four the whole set, the second showed much more back-and-forth action between the teams. Heidelberg took their first lead at 21-20 after a huge block by freshman, Gabby Wolfe. Receiving 13 points off of BW errors with a .067 hitting percentage, Heidelberg took the set 25-22. 

With Heidelberg unable to connect, the home team started with a painful 8-0 lead. Back-to-back Heidelberg kills forced a time-out as the score crept to 8-5. The Student Princes took their first lead of the game at 16-15 off of a Foster kill. Knotted at 22, a huge Yellow Jacket kill is what eventually sealed the game, with The Berg falling, 25-23. 

Taking a dominant start over the host, the Tricolor spread the gap 16-9, causing two BW time outs. Leading by as many as 10, HU forced a fifth set with a 25-18 victory in the fourth.

A nerve-racking fifth set put both squads in the hot seat, with both schools still fighting to make the conference tournament. The teams switched sides as libero Nicole Thomas got a service ace that put Heidelberg ahead 8-5. Foster found her 16th kill of the match, for a 12-9 'Berg advantage. The Yellow Jackets answered back and tied the match at 14. There, a tip-kill by Hannah Walsh and an overpowered BW swing sealed the win for the jubilant Student Princes.

Kelsey Custenborder and Julianna Pena were the setters for the night, tallying 25 and 24. 

On the defense, libero Nicole Thomas had 17 digs. Custenborder and Jeylo Hernandez Rodriguez each had 12. 

Heidelberg will be on the road Saturday as they travel far, far away to Marietta. The game is slated for 1 p.m. and is the last away match on the regular season schedule.