ALLIANCE, Ohio - Mount Union's women's volleyball team swept Marietta 29-27, 25-22, 25-19 Tuesday at Timken Gymnasium.

The Purple Raiders improve to 20-6 overall and remain in a second place tie in the Ohio Athletic Conference at 5-1 while Marietta falls to 13-13 overall and 2-4 in the conference.

Offensively, sophomore Maria Ellesin (Alliance / Marlington) led Mount Union with 14 kills, junior Madelin DiBease (Perry) added 10 of her own while freshman setter Katie May (Independence) logged 21 assists. 

On defense, the freshmen duo Alyssa Kasaris (North Royalton) and Mollie Thomas (Massillon) had 17 and 10 digs respectively.

After trailing 2-0 in the first set, the Raiders scored six of the next seven points to lead 6-3. Mount Union later held a 15-12 lead before the Pioneers rallied with a 9-2 run to take a 21-17 lead. Marietta would actually serve for the set win three separate times but each time the Raiders held and eventually took a 29-27 as DiBease and Marlee Peck (Homeworth / Marlington) scored the deciding two points.

Mount Union never trailed in the second set but never held more than a six-point lead in grinding out a 25-22 win.

The Raiders got out to an early 7-3 lead in the third set, Marietta came back to tie the game at 8-8 and 9-9. Mount Union then went on a 7-4 run to take the lead to 16-13 and went on to the 25-19 win and the match. 

Mount Union next hosts Heidelberg Saturday Oct. 26 at 1:30 p.m. in an OAC match which is also the final regular season home match of the season. The Raiders senior class will be honored prior to the start of the contest.