Volleyball team stung by Kalamazoo in three sets

KALAMAZOO, Mich. – The Olivet College volleyball team fell to Kalamazoo College in three sets tonight in a Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) match inside the Anderson Athletic Center in Kalamazoo. The Hornets won the first two sets by identical 25-13 scores, and closed the match with a 25-18 win in set three.

Kalamazoo led the first two sets from start-to-finish. The third set was back and forth until the Hornets started to pull away after a 9-8 lead. They went on to score five of the next six points to take their largest lead of the set, 14-9. Olivet chipped away with four straight points to cut its deficit to one point, 14-13. Kalamazoo ended the set on an 11-5 scoring spurt.

Freshman Mackenzie Inman (Union City) topped the front row attack with six kills. She had only two attack errors on 29 attempts for a team-best .138 hitting percentage. Freshman Emma Brann (Ann Arbor/Pioneer) and sophomore Tina Westendorp (Nashville/Maple Valley) each recorded four kills. Senior Lacee Boone (Otsego) led the team with 14 set assists. Sophomore libero Kaitlyn Salhaney (Caledonia/East Kentwood) had a team-high 14 digs.

The Comets will now prepare for a busy weekend. On Friday night, Olivet travels to play at Aquinas College at 7 p.m. On Saturday, the Comets will host a triangular with University of Saint Francis (Ind.) and Aquinas. They play Saint Francis at 3 p.m., followed by a match against Aquinas at approximately 7 p.m.