Volleyball team defeats Frostburg State and Baruch to improve to 12-5

UNION, N.J. – The Olivet College volleyball team won two matches tonight at the Kean University Cougar Classic and inside Harwood Arena in Union, New Jersey. The Comets beat Frostburg State (Md.) University in four sets (25-22, 22-25, 25-11, 25-10) and swept Baruch (N.Y.) College in three sets (25-16, 25-12, 25-19).

With the wins, Olivet improves its overall record to 12-5, with the 12 wins tying for the second-most in school history for a season. The Comets also had 12 wins in 2010, while the 1982 team had the most with 22.

Against Frostburg State, Olivet slammed down 54 total kills, with 24 errors on 144 for a .208 hitting percentage. Senior Marissa Guile led all players with 18 kills and five assisted blocks. Junior Re'Gene Thompson was next with 15 kills to go along with a team-best .375 attack percentage. Freshman Megan Black also had five total blocks, one solo and four assisted.

Sophomores Allison Turner and Courtney Cronkright finished with nine and eight kills, respectively. Junior Danielle Bearden posted match-bests in set assists (46) and service aces (five). For players reached double figures in digs. Senior Dallas James led the way with 15, followed by Junior Mona Hinamanu with 14, and Bearden and Cronkright with 12 each. Freshman Ashley Lounds served three aces. 

Against Baruch, the Comets led the first two sets from start-to-finish. Baruch led by three points, 10-7, in the third set. Olivet scored four straight points to go up 11-10. After the teams traded points to cause a 13-13 deadlock, the Comets went on a 4-0 run for a 17-13 lead, which they did not give up for the rest of the set.

For the match, Olivet hit at a .340 clip, pounding down 43 kills with nine errors on 100 attempts. Turner topped the front row with 13 kills. Guile and Thompson each recorded 11 kills. Thompson had zero attack errors on 18 attempts for a .611 hitting percentage. Bearden registered 39 set assists. Hinamanu and Cronkright finished with 16 and 11 digs, respectively.

Olivet wraps-up play in New Jersey tomorrow with two matches. The first is against the host Cougars at 10 a.m., and the second against Springfield (Mass.) College.