Volleyball team splits home tri-match with Albion and Grace Bible

OLIVET, Mich. – The Olivet College volleyball team split two matches at a home tri-match this evening at The Cutler Event Center in Olivet. The Comets lost a heart-breaking five-set Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association match to Albion College before sweeping Grace Bible College in three sets.

THE BASICS
Final Score: Albion def. Olivet 25-23, 29-31, 23-25, 25-13, 25-13
Location: The Cutler Event Center; Olivet, Mich.
Records: Olivet 11-13 overall, 3-9 MIAA; Albion 15-10, 5-8 MIAA

HOW IT HAPPENED VS. ALBION

• The Comets held an 18-13 lead in the first set before the Britons came back with a 4-0 run to close the gap to 18-17. Following a 19-19 tie, Albion took the lead with two straight points. Olivet fought back and took a 23-22 lead before the Britons scored the final three points of the set to win it.
• Albion led by four points, 13-9, in the second set. The Comets answered with a 4-0 spurt to even the score, 13-13. Following two points for the Britons, Olivet scored six consecutive points to go up 19-15. Albion battled back to go ahead 22-21. The Comets scored the next two points to regain the lead, 23-22, before the Britons scored two of the next three points for a 25-24 lead. Olivet fought off three set points for Albion until they took a 29-28 lead. After the Britons made the score 29-29, The Comets got two straight kills – one each by junior Allison Turner and sophomore Erie McClendon – to win the set, 31-29.
• In the third set, Olivet had the early advantage at 4-2. Albion came back to take a one-point lead on six occasions, with the last time being 13-12. The Britons eventually stretched their lead to three points, 15-12. Olivet answered with three straight points to level the set, 15-15. Albion responded with its own 3-0 run for an 18-15 lead. Behind the service of sophomore Ashley Lounds, the Comets put eight straight points on the scoreboard to take a 23-18 lead. The Britons closed their deficit down to one point, 24-23, before a kill by junior Courtney Cronkright ended the set.
• Albion led the fourth set from start-to-finish, with the 12-point lead at the being its largest lead.
• Both teams traded the first 16 points of the deciding set, as there were eight tied scores. The Britons grabbed the first two-point lead for either team at 10-8. Olivet fought back with two straight points to even the score at 11-11. After Albion took another two-point lead, 13-11, two Briton errors leveled the score one final time at 13-13. Two Comet errors handed the set and match to Albion.

FOR THE COMETS

• Freshman Madelyn Notenbaum posted a triple-double – team-best 17 kills to go along with 20 set assists and 16 digs – to lead Olivet.
• Turner slammed down 12 kills.
• Freshman Brittney Prince had eight kills as well as team-leading five blocks.
• Cronkright and McClendon finished with seven kills apiece.
• Senior Danielle Bearden recorded a double-double with 24 digs and team-best 25 set assists.
• Senior Mona Hinamanu led all players with 35 digs.

FOR THE BRITONS

• Three Albion players reached double figures in kills.
• Stephanie Thurner led the way with 16, followed by Marie Pregenzer and Taylor Rosenthal with 12 apiece.
• Ami Milligan collected a match-high 44 set assists.
• Monica Shuk registered a team-best 25 digs.

THE BASICS

Final Score: Olivet def. Grace Bible 25-13, 25-22, 25-21
Location: The Cutler Event Center; Olivet, Mich.
Records: Olivet 12-13 overall, Grace Bible 14-11 overall

HOW IT HAPPENED VS. GRACE BIBLE

• Following a 5-5 tie in the first set, the Comets took a 7-5 and never looked back. The 12-point cushion at the end of the set was Olivet's largest lead.
• The Tigers led the second set 3-1. The Comets put three straight points on the scoreboard to go up 4-3. Grace Bible evened the score at 4-4 before two consecutive Olivet points made the score 6-4. The Comets continued to lead until the Tigers came back to tie the set at 22-22. Olivet scored the last three points to win the set.
• In the third set, Grace Bible led by three points, 16-13. The Comets had a 5-0 run to go up 18-16. The Tigers responded by tying the set 18-18 and 19-19. Olivet scored the next two points and did not relinquish the lead for the rest of the set.

FOR THE COMETS

• For the match, the Comets had 35 kills.
• Turner led the way with 10, while McClendon had seven.
• Bearden had a team-best 14 set assists, and freshman Rose Kemmerling had 10 set assists.
• Olivet served 11 aces.
• Bearden recorded three service aces, while Cronkright, Kemmerling and sophomore Andrea Rico each had two.
• Hinamanu added 18 digs.
• Lounds and Cronkright also reached double figures in digs with 12 and 11, respectively.

FOR THE TIGERS

• Adrianna Bunce recorded eight of the 21 Grace Bible kills.
• Ashley Bearden had 17 set assists.
• Amy Leszinske finished with 14 digs.

UP NEXT                                                                                

• Olivet rests tonight and then travels to play Trine (Ind.) University tomorrow morning at 11 a.m.