Ohio Dominican upsets No.2 seed Findlay in G-MAC semifinals
It's back to back G-MAC Championship appearances for ODU
CEDARVILLE, Ohio — The Ohio Dominican Panthers renewed their rivalry with the Findlay Oilers on Friday evening for a clash in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference Volleyball Semifinal inside the Callan Athletic Center on the campus of Cedarville University.
The contest featured a rematch of the 2024 championship match, contested in Hillsdale, Michigan, which saw the Oilers claim the championship and secure the automatic qualifier into the NCAA Tournament.
However, it was Ohio Dominican’s turn to claim glory as the Panthers won an absolute class contest by a 3-1 scoreline.
Here’s how it went down.
SET ONE
The semifinal opened with an intense, evenly matched first set in which neither team managed to build more than a two-point edge. The stat sheet reflected the balance, as both squads posted 17 kills, with Findlay hitting .293 and ODU close behind at .289. Despite the near mirror-image numbers, the Oilers edged out the Panthers to take Set One, 26–24.
SET TWO
Set Two followed a similar script, but this time the momentum swung in the Panthers’ favor. ODU steadied itself and battled point for point before claiming a 26–24 victory of its own, leveling the match at one set apiece.
SET THREE
Findlay came out firing in the third set and caught ODU off guard early, but the Panthers responded with the resilience that has defined their season. Sparked by key digs from sophomore libero Christen Tarter and impactful kills from freshman Logan Rubel and senior Ashley Aselage, ODU surged ahead to a 17–9 lead—forcing the Oilers to burn both timeouts in short order.
The Panthers kept their foot on the gas, rolling to a 25–15 win and taking a 2–1 lead into the fourth set.
SET FOUR
ODU carried its momentum into the fourth, building a 13–9 advantage and appearing firmly in control. But Findlay refused to go quietly. Two quick timeouts helped the Oilers regroup, and they battled back to tie the set at 14–14. The teams were deadlocked again at 20–20 before the Panthers closed the door. Timely swings from senior Jenna Peters and the ever-reliable Rubel powered ODU to a 25–22 victory—securing the match and punching their ticket to the 2025 Great Midwest Volleyball Championship Match.
REVENGE GAME
Earlier in the day, the G-MAC revealed its all-conference award winners, and one notable omission stood out: ODU freshman outside hitter Logan Rubel was left off the list for Freshman of the Year.
That didn’t faze her. Instead, Rubel responded the best way she knows how—on the court—delivering 16 kills and posting a solid .243 hitting percentage to help power the Panthers into a second consecutive G-MAC Championship appearance.
UP NEXT
Ohio Dominican looks to keep its incredible run going Saturday afternoon, facing off against the host and the number-one-seeded Cedarville.
First serve is scheduled for 1 PM from the Callan Athletic Center.
Tickets can be purchased here.