By Tony Miller
Sports Information Director

GOSHEN, Ind. — The Goshen College women's volleyball team saw its Saturday afternoon peak in the second set, winning that stanza 26-24 in a four-set Crossroads League loss to Indiana Wesleyan University at Gunden Gymnasium.

Elizabeth Breckbill and Darienne Maust each turned in seven kills for the Maple Leafs (10-15, 3-10), who got two aces from Shelbey Younts and 18 digs out of MacKinnon Tracy. The Wildcats (19-7, 12-2), who received votes in the latest NAIA coaches poll, got 18 kills from Tay Thomas and 13 from Lauren Gross.

A tight first set saw the score tied 13 times, including on six occasions before either team reached double figures. Each team strung together a four-point run: Goshen turned a 5-3 hole into a 7-5 lead while IWU got kills by Megan Graber and Morgan Miller to earn four set points after a 20-20 tie. Indiana Wesleyan's 17 kills in the stanza eventually prevailed over a Goshen attack with eight kills and four blocks: the Wildcats won 25-21.

While neither side won more than three straight points for most of the third set, GC went two-for-one on enough rallies to stretch an 11-11 tie into a 21-16 lead. Breckbill finished with three winners and two blocks in that period: despite a 23-17 lead for Goshen at one point, IWU sent the set to extra points with a 7-1 run to knot things at 24. The Maple Leafs closed out the equalizing set with two assist blocks, both featuring Lindsay McQuinn.

Goshen remained within shouting distance for most of the third set, trailing 15-10 before the Wildcats reeled of 10 of 12 points to close the set and started the fourth with a 13-3 run. The Maple Leafs mustered eight kills and 15 errors in the last two sets, which they lost 25-12 and 25-10.

The Wildcats nearly doubled Goshen's kill total, 58 to 31, although Goshen posted 13 blocks to IWU's 11 to post its best mark of the season for a four-set match and second-best overall. Maust led all players with six blocks, including three solos.

Indiana Wesleyan had the match's leading setter as Katie Cole tossed in 30 assists; Banner Rodgers led IWU with 16 digs but came two short of Goshen's MacKinnon Tracy for the match high.

The win keeps Indiana Wesleyan a game behind Marian for first place in the conference, while Goshen sits in ninth place and trails Bethel and Mount Vernon Nazarene by two matches with five to play.

Goshen wraps up a six-match homestand next week, facing Mount Vernon Nazarene in conference play at 7 p.m. Tuesday before facing Great Lakes Christian in a non-conference match 72 hours later.