This past weekend, the Kenyon volleyball team secured its first win of the season in its home opener. On Saturday, the Owls beat the Franciscan University Barons before falling to the Kalamazoo College (Mich.) Hornets. The Owls’ record now stands at 1-5.

Kenyon’s opening match was a back-and-forth game, which ended triumphantly for the Owls, three sets to two. Mariyah Rumpca-Veronese ’28 was excellent, leading the Owls with 25 total points. The Barons captured a close first set, but the Owls battled back to win the second set and equalize the score. Failing to secure the third set, the Owls looked to come from behind and force a decider. Kenyon dominated the fourth set, ending with a score of 25-17. Both teams were energized and focused going
into the final set, but the Owls edged out the victory over the Barons with a hard fought win in the fifth set and a final score of 17-15. Rumpca-Veronese led the team in kills with 18, aiding the Owls in their first triumph.

Later that day, the Owls fell to the Hornets in a tough 3-2 loss. The match was another close one, with Kenyon losing the first set and then fighting back to win the second. Unfortunately, the Owls were unable to come out on top in the third set, but they rallied in the fourth to force the decider. Although Kenyon
hoped to win its second match of the day, the team was unsuccessful in its pursuit and was narrowly defeated by a score of 17-15 in the final set. Olivia Gumz ’27 finished the match with a commendable 20 kills, while Joy Carstanjen ’26 amassed 4 aces.

Carstanjen, a senior captain, remains optimistic about the season. “We’re looking to keep building our confidence, using both our wins and our setbacks as motivation to keep growing,” she wrote in an email to the Collegian. “Every match is a chance to learn, and we’re focused on showing up as the best versions of ourselves, as teammates and as competitors, in the games ahead.”

The Owls will head to Indiana for a doubleheader this weekend, where they will play Earlham College (Ind.) on Friday and Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology (Ind.) on Saturday. Looking back on the Owls’ challenges — and how to overcome them — Carstanjen wrote, “Our toughest challenge was finding the right balance between playing with urgency and excitement, while also staying focused, composed and calm — especially during high-pressure moments in close games. As a team, we really leaned on each other. Everyone made a conscious effort to stay supportive and encouraging, while also keeping each other grounded whenever emotions started to swing too far in one direction. That balance helped us remain a connected and resilient force throughout the matches.”