Women’s volleyball team opens MIAA play with four-set win over Kalamazoo

The Olivet College volleyball team opened Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) play with a four-set win over Kalamazoo College this evening at The Cutler Event Center in Olivet.

Box Score

Team Stats

Photo by Zach Oshinsky
Photo by Zach Oshinsky
September 18, 2018

OLIVET, Mich. – The Olivet College volleyball team opened Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) play with a four-set win over Kalamazoo College this evening at The Cutler Event Center in Olivet.

Final Score: Olivet def. Kalamazoo 25-17, 25-22, 16-25, 27-25
Location: The Cutler Event Center; Olivet, Mich.
Records: Olivet 9-5 overall, 1-0 MIAA; Kalamazoo 2-10 overall, 0-1 MIAA

  • In the first set, the Hornets built a 5-1 lead. The Comets then scored nine of the next 10 points to go ahead 10-6. Olivet did not trail for the rest of the set.
  • In the second set, Kalamazoo led 10-6. The Comets went on a 5-0 run for an 11-10 lead. Both teams then had a 4-0 run, resulting in a 15-14 Olivet lead. After the Hornets took a 17-16 lead, Olivet went on another 4-0 scoring spurt to take the lead back, 20-17. The Comets did not give up the lead for the rest of the set.
  • After a 10-10 tie in the third set, Kalamazoo scored six consecutive points and never looked back. The nine-point margin at the end of the set was the Hornets' largest lead.
  • Kalamazoo appeared to take control of the fourth set, leading it by seven points 13-6. The Hornets maintained their lead until Olivet leveled the score at 21-21. The Comets had set point at 25-24 but a Kalamazoo kill evened the score. A Hornet attack error put Olivet ahead 26-25. Sophomore Laken Groll then blocked down a Kalamazoo attack for set and match point.

  • Junior Brittney Prince led all players with 16 kills, with only error on 31 attempts for a .484 hitting percentage.
  • Junior Morgan Champion finished with 11 kills.
  • Groll notched five blocks, including three solo.
  • Junior Madelyn Notenbaum dished out a match-high 25 set assists.
  • Freshman Abigail Pray also had double digit set assists with 14.
  • Junior libero Gabrielle Mundt recorded a team-high 16 digs, followed by freshman Drue Mullins with 12 digs.

  • Madi Goodman posted a team-high 14 kills.
  • Rachel Girard and Shelby Suseland each had 10 kills.
  • Grace Kraft tallied a team-leading 23 set assists.
  • Maddie Wojcik collected a match-leading 21 digs.

  • Olivet continues MIAA play Friday night with a 6:30 p.m. match at Trine (Ind.) University.