GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - The Wittenberg Tigers staged a rally but couldn't catch up with Calvin College in the latest installment of one of the best rivalries in small college women's volleyball.

The match was played on the opening day of Calvin's Midwest Invitational. Fifth-ranked Calvin improved to 19-3 on the season, while seventh-ranked Wittenberg fell to 15-2.

Calvin jumped on top by set scores of 25-19 and 25-9 before Wittenberg responded with a 26-24 decision in the third frame, thanks in part to an early six-point run with senior Melissa Emming (West Chester, Ohio/Mount Notre Dame) serving. The Knights bounced back to secure the victory by taking the fourth set 25-22.

The Tigers were led offensively by Emming with 12 kills on a team-high 34 attack attempts, followed by sophomore Camila Quiñones (Sunbury, Ohio/Worthington Christian) with eight kills. Three other Tigers finished with five kills in the match, while freshman setter Megan Flaherty (Dublin, Ohio/Coffman) dished out 20 assists..

One of them was senior Kara Seidenstricker (London, Ohio/Jonathan Alder), who topped Wittenberg with 16 digs. Senior libero Kristina Fultz (Batavia, Ohio/Glen Este) added 13 digs, and junior Kendall Farmer (Gurnee, Ill./Warren Township) was stellar at the net with eight blocks.

Play continues for Wittenberg in the Midwest Invitational against Carthage and Elmhurst on Saturday, Oct. 17. The match times are 12 p.m. and 4 p.m.

Written By: Ryan Maurer