DEFIANCE, Ohio – Lourdes University volleyball opened strong Wednesday night, taking the first set before falling in four to Defiance College (25-18, 16-25, 19-25, 19-25) inside the Karl H. Weaner Center.

Senior Jolie Sobb (Oregon, Ohio / Clay HS) and sophomore Mia Karl (Sylvania, Ohio / Southview HS) paced the Gray Wolves with 10 kills each. Karl was especially efficient, hitting .467 on the night while adding a solo block and a block assist. Senior Rachel Allison (Toledo, Ohio / Central Catholic HS) added six kills and seven digs, and freshman Teliya Cole (Toledo, Ohio / Whitmer HS) contributed four kills, six service aces, and four block assists for a strong all-around performance.

Senior Emma Coffey (Mason, Ohio / Bishop Fenwick HS) anchored the back row with 27 digs, while Arleena Willer (Holland, Ohio / Springfield HS) added seven and Zoe Schuele (Ottawa Lake, Mich. / Whiteford HS) posted 14 digs to go with 18 assists and two aces. Freshman Rania Pavlidi (Athens, Greece / 1st Lykeio Geraka) tallied eight assists and three block assists off the bench.

Lourdes came out sharp in the opening set, jumping ahead 11-5 behind a run of four straight points from Cole's serve. The Gray Wolves hit .073 in the frame but forced multiple Defiance errors and closed with back-to-back points from Johanna Tester (LaPorte, Ind. / LaPorte HS) to take it 25-18.

Defiance (14-11) responded by hitting .424 in the second set and .308 in the third to seize control. Despite strong defensive play and a balanced attack, Lourdes couldn't overcome the Yellow Jackets' momentum late, falling 25-19 in each of the final two sets.

The Gray Wolves (6-14, 2-11 WHAC) return home this weekend for a WHAC matchup at the Ebeid Recreation Center.