The Monmouth College volleyball team dropped a Midwest Conference match to the defending champion Cornell Rams on Saturday. The Scots (5-9, 0-2) fell 25-18, 25-14, 25-14 to the Rams (8-4, 2-0) in Glennie Gym.

Cornell started the match by winning the first three points before the Scots pulled even at 4-4. The Scots edged ahead 9-8  before the Rams won seven straight points. The Scots got it back to two at 17-15 but Cornell pulled away again and won the set 25-18. 

The Scots jumped out to the lead in set two. After going on top 6-3, Monmouth pushed the lead to 8-4 on a kill by Layne Wright (Davenport, Iowa). But the Rams responded in a big way, winning 13 straight points for a 17-8 lead. The Scots couldn't close the gap as Cornell won the set 25-14. 

The third set was tied 1-1 before Cornell won seven straight points. The teams traded points through most of the set with the Rams leading 15-9. They took five of the next six points to go on top 20-10 and eventually won the set 25-14. 

Wright led the Scots with seven kills while both Amanda Dybal (Apex, North Carolina) and Kenzie Russell (Morton, Illinois) had four. Paige Bergschneider (Alexander, Illinois) had 19 assists and Savannah Robinson (Delavan, Illinois) led the Scots with 14 digs. Dybal had two aces while both Wright and Sarah LaHood (East Peoria, Illinois) had one.

The Scots now have a week off before hosting Lake Forest at 11 a.m. next Saturday. That game is part of the Homecoming Saturday events on campus and is also Senior Day. Dybal and LaHood will both be honored in a pre-game ceremony.