MARION, Ind. — Christy Swartzendruber led the Goshen College women's volleyball team with nine kills in a 25-8, 25-17, 25-20 Crossroads League loss at no. 23 Indiana Wesleyan on Friday.

IWU (16-1, 7-0) hit .375 in the opening stanza and finished the match with just 11 errors on 91 attempts. Tay Thomas paced the hosts with 10 winners. Goshen hit .179 with 11 kills in the final set, but the early deficit proved too much to overcome.

The Maple Leafs (8-6, 3-3), who entered the night averaging 2.3 blocks per set, were held to a single stuff, a solo attempt from Lindsay McQuinn late in the second set. Sydney Cruz added four kills and Lexa Magnuson three.

The Wildcats finished with a 51-34 advantage in digs and 8.5 team blocks to Goshen's one. Ally Roehr of Goshen and IWU's Emily Workman tied for the match lead with 19 assists each.

After a pair of early defeats, GC used an 8-2 run to take the lead in the third, with three Swartzendruber spikes (along with winners from Cruz and Kylie Giger) sandwiched around three IWU errors to put the Leafs up 16-12. But nearly as quickly, the nationally-ranked opposition went on a 9-2 run to retake the lead 21-18 and finished off the match from there.

Indiana Wesleyan earned 17 of its final 25 points—more than two-thirds of the set—on kills, committing four attack errors in the process.

Banner Rodgers led IWU with three aces: four Maple Leafs finished with one apiece.

Goshen returns to action on Friday night, hosting Spring Arbor at 7 p.m. in another CL matchup.

More, including comments from Goshen head coach Jim Routhier, to come when available.