Olivet rallies to win five-set thrilling match over Manchester in home-opener

OLIVET, Mich. – Down 14-11 in the fifth set, The University of Olivet women's volleyball team scored the last five points to help the Comets post a come-from-behind win over Manchester (Ind.) University in its home-opener tonight at the Cutler Event Center.

THE BASICS

• Final Score: Olivet defeated Manchester 23-25, 25-19, 15-25, 25-14, 16-14
• Location: Cutler Event Center; Olivet, Michigan
• Records: Olivet 4-1 overall, Manchester 2-3 overall

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The teams traded 3-0 runs to open the first set. Olivet scored three of the next four points to go up 6-4. Manchester answered with four straight points before two consecutive Comet points evened the score at 8-8. After an exchange of points, the Spartans led 15-13. Olivet fought back to gain a three-point lead twice at 20-17 and 21-18. Three kills and an ace for Manchester made the score 22-21. The Comets responded with two kills to take the lead back. The Spartans ended the set with three kills to win the set 25-23.
• Olivet raced out to a 10-3 lead in the second set. The Comets' advantage grew to as many as nine points, 19-10. The Spartans chipped away at their deficit to trial by only three points, 21-18, before Olivet closed the set on a 4-1 run to win it 25-19.
• The early part of the third set was close. After a 3-3 tie, Manchester went on a 4-0 run. The Comets scored the next point, but they did not get any closer for the remainder of the set.
• In the fourth set, Olivet built a seven-point cushion on two occasions, 17-10 and 18-11. Three Spartan points made the score 18-14. The Comets then put the final seven points on the scoreboard to win the set 25-14 and force the deciding set.
• In the fifth set, Manchester led by as many as five points at 12-7. Four straight Olivet points – three kills by senior Hayleah McFadden and one by sophomore Julia Hall – closed the gap to a point. The Spartans answered with two kills to go back up by three points and get to set and match point, 14-11. A McFadden kill, an overpass kill by senior Abi Nunez and a service ace by freshman Ashlynn Giannunzio leveled the score caused the Spartans to use their final timeout. A double block by Hall and junior Morgan Good made the score 15-14. Nunez ended the match with a kill.

FOR THE COMETS

• For the match, Olivet totaled 53 kills.
• Nunez slammed down a match-high 24 kills
• McFadden was next with 14 kills and hit at a team-best .286 clip.
• Hall tallied seven kills.
• Senior Teagan Giannunzio dished out 40 set assists.
• Junior Jaydn Cary collected a match-best 23 digs.
• Ashlynn Giannunzio finished with 17 digs.

UP NEXT

• The Comets head to Terra Haute, Indiana, Friday for the Fightin' Engineer Classic at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology. On Friday night, Olivet plays Rose-Hulman at 7 p.m. On Saturday, the Comets face Greenville (Ill.) University at 11 a.m., followed by a match against Trine (Ind.) University.