Women’s volleyball team splits two non-league matches

CHICAGO, Ill. – The Olivet College women's volleyball team split two non-conference matches this afternoon at the Keating Center in Chicago. The Comets defeated Milwaukee School of Engineering (Wis.) in four sets before losing to host Illinois Institute of Technology in three sets.

Final Score: Olivet defeated Milwaukee School of Engineering 25-20, 22-25, 25-15, 25-20
Location: Keating Center; Chicago, Illinois
Records: Olivet 7-8 overall, Milwaukee School of Engineering 12-8 overall

• The first set saw the Comets take a 3-0 lead. The Raiders scored six of the next eight points to go up 6-5. Olivet answered with a 4-0 run on two kills and two service aces to take the lead back 9-6. The Comets maintained the lead until MSOE leveled the score at 14-14. Back-to-back points put Olivet up 16-14. The Comets did not relinquish the lead for the rest of the set.
• The teams traded the opening 10 points of the second set. Following a 5-5 tie, the Raiders went ahead 8-5. Olivet had two kills and a service ace to tie the set. Neither team led by two points over the next 20 points put on the scoreboard. After an 18-18 deadlock, the Comets surged ahead 20-18 and 21-19. MSOE responded with a 5-0 spurt to go up 24-21. Olivet saved one set point before a ball handling error handed the set to the Raiders and evened the match score at 1-1.
• The Comets started the third set on a 5-0 run and did not trail for the remainder of it.
• Olivet built an early three-point cushion, 7-4, in the fourth set. Four straight MSOE points made the score 8-7. The teams traded points to create four tied scores. With the score knotted at 11-11, a 7-1 Comet run put Olivet ahead for good.

• For the match, both teams posted matching .121 attack percentages. The difference in the match was Olivet had 18 service aces compared to six for the Raiders.
• Junior Kennedy Blackburn, sophomore Olivia DuFore and senior Drue Mullin each served four aces.
• The front row attack was led by junior Ellie Louiselle who slammed down 16 kills.
• Sophomore Morgan Dillon was next with eight kills, followed by DuFore with seven.
• Blackburn dished out 21 set assists.
• Mullin topped the defense with a match-high 23 digs.

• Quinn Borchert finished with a team-best eight kills.
• Katie Augustine posted 15 set assists.
• Samantha Johnson recorded a team-high 13 digs.

Final Score: Illinois Tech defeated Olivet 25-23, 25-9, 25-21
Location: Keating Center; Chicago, Illinois
Records: Olivet 7-9 overall, Illinois Tech 11-6 overall

• The Comets seized the largest lead for either team at 13-11. The Scarlet Hawks chipped away at their deficit and eventually took a 20-19 lead. Olivet leveled the score on a kill by Louiselle. Illinois Tech answered with four straight points. The Comets came back with three consecutive points to force the Scarlet Hawks to call a timeout. A kill ended the set for Illinois Tech.
• After a 2-2 tie in the second set, the Scarlet Hawks used a 6-0 run to go up 8-2. Olivet was never able to recover from that deficit.
• In the third set, the Scarlet Hawks had 5-0 scoring spurt to turn an 8-5 deficit into a 10-8 lead. The Comets fought back to take a two-point lead, 17-15. Three Olivet errors put Illinois Tech back on top, 18-17. The Comets scored the next two points for a 19-18 lead. The Scarlet Hawks ended the set on a 6-2 run.

• DuFore led Olivet with a match-high nine kills.
• Louiselle tallied five kills.
• Freshman Madison Johnson collected a team-best 10 set assists.
• Mullin added 12 digs.

• Maria Fernanda Alcantara and Jessica Weaver each had seven kills.
• Allison Wilkins registered 11 set assists.
• Briar Moore and Stephanie Nguyen recorded 12 digs a piece.

• Olivet resumes conference play next Tuesday, October 5, when it plays at Albion College. First serve from inside Kresge Gym is at 6:30 p.m.