Some sports can be games of inches, other can be games of near misses.

In volleyball, it can be a match of mere points.

Two times tonight against Albion, the John Carroll Blue Streaks had opportunities to win games when the score reached 23-23. In both cases, an Albion kill was followed by a John Carroll attack error. In a matter of mere points, what could have been one outcome became an entirely different one. 

On a neutral court in Oberlin, Ohio, the Albion Britons escape three close sets to sweep the Blue Streaks, 25-23, 25-20, 25-23.

It was an even match up on paper with 12-9 John Carroll squaring off against 10-8 Albion. But a late arrival by JCU due to Friday afternoon traffic seemed to carry over into game one. The Britons tallied the first six points of the match and at one juncture led 10-3.

To the Blue Streaks credit, they found their bearings and rallied. Trailing 23-19, kills by Sarah Calabrese and Cassi Calamunci enabled JCU to knot the score at 23-23. But Albion captured the final two points for the 25-23 win.

Albion again started off the second set six straight points, but this time John Carroll never caught the Britons. The closest the Blue Streaks got was two points at 17-15, but Albion scored eight of the final 13 points to claim the game.

The third set offered a change of pace as JCU stormed out to a 10-4 lead. Brooke Hjerpe had three kills in that opening stretch.

It was Albion's turned to rally, scoring 13 of the next 20 points to catch the Blue Streaks at 17-17. The two teams traded the lead down the stertch before Albion put the match away by winning the final two points.

Hjerpe (13) and Calabrese (10) led the way in kills on offense, while Cianciolo (19) and Ally Bartolone (14) combined for 33 digs on defense.

JCU hit .164 as a team, with their best set a .289 mark in the third.

Albion hit .254 as a team, led by Kate Winter (12 kills, .407 attack percentage) and Taylor Rosenthal (10 kills, .429 hitting percentage).

JCU resumes action at Oberlin tomorrow with matches vs. the host school at 12 noon and Adrian at 2 p.m.