Olivet drops five-set match at Anderson

ANDERSON, Ind. – The University of Olivet women's volleyball team rallied to force a deciding set but fell to Anderson (Ind.) University in a thrilling five-set match tonight at the O.C. Lewis Gymnasium.

THE BASICS

• Final Score: Anderson 25-14, 15-25, 25-18, 23-25, 15-8
• Location: O.C. Lewis Gymnasium; Anderson, Indiana
• Records: Olivet 11-5 overall, Anderson 8-2 overall

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Ravens raced out to a 4-0 in the first set. Olivet fought back to close the gap to one point twice at 4-3 and 6-5. The Comets did not get any closer for the rest of the set, as Anderson won it 25-14.
• Down 4-3 in the second set, Olivet used four straight kills – three by senior Abi Nunez and one by junior Violet Porter – to go up 7-4. The Ravens cut their deficit down to a single point, 7-6 and 8-7. The Comets then put 12 of the next 13 points on the scoreboard for a 20-8 lead. Olivet held the lead for the remainder of the set to win by a 25-15 final.
• The beginning of the third set was close as neither team held a lead of more than two points. With the score knotted at 7-7, Anderson used a 4-0 run to take an 11-7 lead. The Ravens did not relinquish their advantage and went on to win it, 25-18.
• The fourth set saw Anderson jump out to a 6-2 lead. Still training 9-6, the Comets used a 7-0 run for a 13-9 lead. The Ravens chipped away at their deficit and eventually leveled the score at 23-23. A kill by sophomore Julia Hall and service ace by senior Teagan Giannunzio won the set for Olivet to push the match to five sets.
• In the fifth set, the Ravens held a 3-1 lead. The Comets came back to even the score on three occasions at 3-3, 4-4 and 5-5. Three straight points put Anderson ahead for good.

FOR THE COMETS

• Despite the loss, Olivet totaled 48 kills.
• Nunez led the way with 20.
• McFadden was next with 14, followed by Hall and Porter with five apiece.
• Giannunzio dished out 41 set assists.
• Junior libero Jaydn Cary led all players with 20 digs.
• Giannunzio and Nunez each had 14 digs.

UP NEXT

• The Comets host Ohio Christian University Friday night at 6:30 p.m.