STEUBENVILLE, Ohio - October 21, 2021 - Chatham Volleyball made program history tonight by defeating Franciscan 3-2 on the road. The win gives them their tenth Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) victory of the season, which marks a new milestone in the program's PAC presence.
The sets won in Chatham's favor were the second (25-11), fourth (26-24), and fifth (15-11).
Despite a close first set, Franciscan came out on top. Sophomore Amelia Bogovich had the Cougars' first point of the evening, with an assist to Shaelah Pepperman for her 700th of the season. Junior Rylee Ritko would step up next, followed by first-year Jessica Taney on the offensive front. First-year Kaley Davis and graduate Macy King would also contribute with a few kills to put the pressure on the Barons.
Set two was dominated by the Cougars, who allowed just 11 points against. Bogovich again started the Cougars off, this time with an ace and followed by a kill. Ritko, Davis, King, and Bogovich continued to overwhelm the Franciscan defense, supplemented by kills from Pepperman and sophomores Paige Bogozi and Meghan Dominek.
Set three went to the Barons once more, but not without a fight from the Cougars. The Cougars would close several lead gaps created by the Barons, thanks to Davis, Bogovich, King, and Ritko. It would be Ritko to force the game past 25 with Chatham's tying point of the set, which was unfortunately their last as Franciscan secured two more.
The two teams would have a similar fourth set, this time ending in Chatham's favor. Down 24-23, Kaley Davis would get the tying kill, followed by the 25th point supplied by Ritko, and the final, set-ending ace by Meghan Dominek.
Chatham capitalized on their winning momentum going into the fifth set, leaving the Barons desperate and susceptible to errors. Ritko and King would start the kill spree for Chatham, joined later by Bogovich. Chatham's 15th point would come from a set error committed by the Barons, sending the Cougars home with another 3-2 victory on the books.
Kaley Davis and Amelia Bogovich both had another dominant night, achieving 18 and 17 kills respectively. Rylee Ritko followed with 12 and Macy King with eight and also a block. Behind the line, Bogovich and Ritko tied with a game-high four aces.
Shaelah Pepperman surpassed the 700-assist mark by 54 this evening, adding two kills and 13 digs. Meghan Dominek was the defensive leader yet again, tallying 37 digs and three aces.
Despite their historic evening, the Cougars are not out of opportunities to continue improving. With four conference games to go, they look to extend their streak on Saturday, October 23 at Waynesburg.
