Volleyball team beats Kalamazoo in four sets

Bearden eclipses 1,500 plateau for career set assists

KALAMAZOO, Mich. – The Olivet College volleyball team defeated Kalamazoo College in four sets (25-15, 23-25, 25-11, 25-21) in a Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) match tonight inside the Anderson Athletic Center in Kalamazoo.

The Comets put the first eight points on the scoreboard in the first set before winning it by a 25-15 score. In the second set, the Hornets built a six-point lead on five occasions, with the last being 24-18. Olivet fought back with five straight points to trail by only one 24-23. A Comet service error handed the set to Kalamazoo, 25-23.

The teams traded points in the first part of the third set. After a 4-4 deadlock, Olivet scored seven consecutive points to go up 11-4. The Comets' 14-point margin of victory in the second set, 25-11, was their largest lead.

Kalamazoo had a 16-11 lead in the fourth set. Olivet responded with five straight points to tie the set at 16-16. The schools exchanged points to make another tie, 17-17. The Comets scored the next three points to forge a 20-17 lead and did not give it up for the remainder of the set.

As a team, Olivet posted a .156 hitting percentage compared to .030 for the Hornets. The Comets had 20 more kills, 49-29, and six more service aces, 10-4.

Three Olivet players reached double figures in kills, led by sophomore Allison Turner's match-high 15. Senior Marissa Guile had 13 kills with five attack errors on 24 attempts for a team-best .333 hitting percentage. She also served three aces. Junior Re'Gene Thompson slammed down 10 kills.

Junior setter Danielle Bearden collected 41 assists to eclipse the 1,500 plateau for career sets. She is only the fourth player in school history to reach that milestone, and now has 1,540. Four Comets had double digit dig totals. Sophomore Courtney Cronkright topped the team with 21, followed by Bearden with 13, and junior Mona Hinamanu and freshman Ashley Lounds with 12 each.

Olivet is back in action Friday and Saturday at the Kean (N.J.) University Cougar Classic. The Comets will play two matches each day. On Friday night, they face Frostburg State (Md.) University at 6 p.m., followed by a match against Baruch (N.Y.) College. On Saturday morning, Olivet battles Kean at 10 a.m. and Springfield (Mass.) College at noon.