Volleyball team ends season with five-set loss to Kalamazoo

OLIVET, Mich. – The Olivet College volleyball team ended its season with a five-set loss to Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) rival Kalamazoo College today at The Cutler Event Center in Olivet. Despite the loss, the Comets finish the 2015 season with a 14-14 overall record.

Olivet pounded 18 kills and hit at a .405 clip to win the first set, 25-15. The Comets led in the early stages of the second set. After a 12-12 tie, the Hornets scored two straight points to take a 14-12 lead, which they did not relinquish in winning the set 25-21.

Kalamazoo led by a 23-13 score in the third set. Olivet stormed back with a 7-0 run to make the score 23-20. Following a Hornet point, the Comets fought off four set points to knot the score at 24-24. The teams exchanged points until a Kalamazoo attack error put Olivet ahead 26-25. The Hornets responded with a kill to tie the set and then two Comet attack errors handed them the set 28-26.

In the fourth set, Kalamazoo held a one-point advantage five times, with the last time being 8-7. Olivet took the lead on back-to-back kills and did not give it up en route to 25-20 win.

The Comets led at the start of the fifth and deciding set. Following a 6-6 deadlock, the Hornets put the next two points on the scoreboard. They never trailed for the rest of the set and won it 15-12.

Playing in her final collegiate volleyball match, senior Marissa Guile slammed down a match-high 22 kills. She had only five errors on 56 attempts for a .304 attack percentage. Junior Re'Gene Thompson finished with 16 kills, while sophomore Allison Turner had 10. Junior Danielle Bearden dished out 51 set assists. Junior Mona Hinamanu finished with a team-leading 26 digs.