Otago's twenty20 campaign was dealt a savage blow with back-to-back losses during the weekend.
The Volts followed their record defeat by Auckland on Saturday with a devastating three-wicket loss to Wellington in Hamilton last night.
That means the Volts have lost all four games and that could prove terminal for their playoff prospects.
The team looked poised to post its first victory until Grant Elliott took the attack to a shrinking Jacob Duffy, whacking 19 runs from the 16th over.
When he holed out for 43, Otago regained control again but it was only a brief respite with Jeetan Patel smashing 34 not out from 14 to complete an unlikely victory.
Patel had some help with a series of full tosses coming his way and had no compunction dispatching such charitable bowling.
Wellington needed 15 off the last over but only needed four balls with Patel hitting Duffy for a couple of fours, a two and then finished off in style with a six.
Earlier, Jesse Ryder, who had had a quiet tournament, burst into life, thrashing a 23-ball half century and showing once again just how punishing he can be.
Some unfortunate spectator would have returned to the car park to discover a new dent in the roof of their car, courtesy of a massive six from the powerful left-hander.
The blitz ended when Ryder was on 56 and holed on at midwicket. Elliott grabbed the key wicket and shortly after the captain Ryan ten Doeschate chopped on.
A good start was threatening to unravel but Michael Bracewell (40 from 40) and Nathan McCullum (26 from 15) lifted Otago to 169 for seven.
The less said about Saturday's humiliating 106-run loss to Auckland the better from the Volts' perspective.
A couple of telling statistics spell out how lopsided the encounter was. It was Otago's lowest twenty20 total (83) and heaviest defeat in the format. Somehow the Volts managed to score fewer runs than Martin Guptill (84 not out) and fewer runs than Auckland managed in the final five overs of its innings.
The Aces (189 for two) whacked 89 runs from those 30 deliveries with Guptill hitting the last two for six to complete a horrific night for Dirk Nannes.
The left-armer was thrashed for a costly 59 runs from his allotment of four overs but the last over was the most painful. Colin Munro and Guptill combined to flay 29 runs - 6, 6, 4, 1b, 6, 6.
It is the sort of over which gets you dropped and Nannes certainly has not delivered the potent performances expected from the overseas professional.
He was not alone in his misery, though. Duffy was also expensive, conceding 45 runs at 11.25. McCullum, who can usually be relied on to get through his four overs cheaply got caught as well, going for more than 10 an over.
Nick Beard was at his miserly best again and James McMillan and Jesse Ryder bowled two tight overs apiece but curiously were not required at the bowling crease again.
The Volts will have to make some changes before Thursday's home game against Central Districts if they want to turn their campaign around.
• In other matches in the round, the Canterbury Kings beat the Northern Knight by eight wickets on Friday and Wellington by five wickets on Saturday.
Northern bounced back from its loss to the Kings with a 25-run win against Central Districts yesterday.
