Volleyball: Olivet defeated by Adrian in five sets

ADRIAN, Mich. – The Olivet College volleyball team was defeated by Adrian College in five set tonight in a Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) match at the Merillat Center in Adrian. The Comets won the first set 25-19 before the Bulldogs won the second set 25-20. Olivet went up 2-1 with a 25-23 victory in the third set. Adrian forced a deciding set by winning the fourth set 25-22, and then won the match with a 15-8 victory in the fifth set.

The teams traded the first eight points of the opening set. After a 4-4 tie, the Comets scored nine of the next 10 points to grab a 13-5 lead. Olivet did not relinquish its lead for the rest of the set, despite the Bulldogs clawing their way back and trailing by only two points, 20-18, late in the set.

Adrian started the second set with a 4-1 run before the Comets scored five consecutive points to take a 6-4 lead. The middle portion of the set was a series of runs for both schools. After Olivet led 18-16, the Bulldogs went on a 5-0 run to take a 21-18 lead, which it did not give up for the remainder of the set.

The Bulldogs led the third set until the Comets fought back to take an 8-7 lead. Adrian responded by tying the set on six occasions, with the last time being 23-23. Two Bulldog attack errors handed the set win to Olivet.

The Comets had a four-point lead, 12-8, in the fourth set. Adrian answered by scoring eight of 12 points to cause a 16-16 tie. The Bulldogs scored the next point on a kill and did not surrender the lead for the rest of the set. Adrian led the fifth set from start-to-finish.

Senior Stefanie Lang led Olivet with 11 kills and four blocks (two solo). Freshman Allison Turner contributed 10 kills and a team-high six blocks. Sophomore Cassie Brown hit a team-best .308, with nine kills and one error on 26 attempts. Junior Marissa Guile and sophomore Ashlee Roussey finished with eight and seven kills, respectively.

Senior Taylor Pringle collected a team-leading 22 set assists, and sophomore Danielle Bearden was not far behind with 18. Sophomore Mona Hinamanu topped the Comets' back row with a match-high 26 digs. Bearden was next with 13 digs, followed by Pringle and junior Dallas James with 10 each.

Olivet is off until next Tuesday, Oct. 14, when it hosts MIAA leader Hope College. First serve inside The Cutler Event Center is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.