Volleyball team loses five-set match at Kalamazoo

The Olivet College volleyball team lost a five-set match to Kalamazoo College this morning at the Anderson Athletic Center in Kalamazoo. The Hornets won the opening set 25-16 before the Comets rallied to win the next two sets 25-22 and 25-18. Kalamazoo forced a deciding set with a 25-22 win in the fourth set. The Hornets then fought off two match points to win the fifth set, 16-14.

Box Score

Team Stats

Volleyball team loses five-set match at Kalamazoo
October 19, 2013

KALAMAZOO, Mich. – The Olivet College volleyball team lost a five-set match to Kalamazoo College this morning at the Anderson Athletic Center in Kalamazoo. The Hornets won the opening set 25-16 before the Comets rallied to win the next two sets 25-22 and 25-18. Kalamazoo forced a deciding set with a 25-22 win in the fourth set. The Hornets then fought off two match points to win the fifth set, 16-14.

In set one, Kalamazoo scored the first nine points and never looked back. The beginning of the second set was back and forth. Olivet seized a five-point lead, 18-13. The Hornets fought back to tie the set at 20-20. The Comets scored the next two points on kills and never trailed, again. Olivet led the entire third set, with the seven-point margin at the end being its largest lead.

Kalamazoo held a 9-5 lead in the fourth set. The Comets came back with a 6-0 run to take an 11-9 lead. The teams exchanged points until the Hornets gained a 19-18 lead and they did not relinquish it for the rest of the set.

With Kalamazoo holding a 6-4 lead in the fifth set, Olivet appeared to take control of the set by scoring six consecutive points to go up 10-6. The Hornets fought back to tie the set twice at 11-11 and 12-12. The Comets reached match point on back-to-back kills. Kalamazoo ended the match with four straight kills to steal the match from Olivet.

Four Comets posted double digit kills in the loss.  Junior Emma Brann (Ann Arbor/Pioneer) led the way with 20, followed by senior Stefanie Lang (Valparaiso, Ind.) with 14, sophomore Marissa Guile (Williamston) with 11 and freshman Ashley Roussey (Ortonville/Ortonville-Brandon) with 10.

Junior Taylor Pringle (Haslett) dished out a team-leading 30 set assists. Freshman Danielle Bearden (Goodrich) was next with 25. Junior libero Megan VanderVlucht (McBain) finished with a match-high 23 digs. Freshman Mona Hinamanu (Okemos/Mason) reached double figures in the third straight match with 19. Senior Tina Westendorp (Nashville/Maple Valley) had 14.

Olivet is back in action next Wednesday, Oct. 23, when it makes the short trip to play Albion College at 6:30 p.m.