Women’s volleyball team beats Manchester and Anderson at Raven Invitational

ANDERSON, Ind. – The Olivet College volleyball team started off its 2016 season with two wins at the Anderson (Ind.) University/Raven Invitational. The Comets beat Manchester (Ind.) University in four sets before rallying to beat Anderson in five sets.

THE BASICS
Final Score: Olivet def. Manchester 25-20, 25-15, 18-25, 25-22
Location: O.C. Lewis Gymnasium; Anderson, Ind.
Records: Olivet 1-0 overall, Manchester 0-1 overall

HOW IT HAPPENED

• With the first set tied at 16-16, the Comets went on a 3-0 run to go up 19-16. Olivet never relinquished the lead for the rest of the set. 
• The Comets led the second set from start-to-finish, with the 10-point margin of victory being their largest lead. 
• Olivet held a 14-13 lead in the third set. Manchester went on a 7-0 run to go up 20-14 before settling for the 25-18 win.
• The Comets had a four-point lead, 7-3, early in the fourth set. The Spartans came back to tie the set at 9-9. Olivet scored the next two points and did not give up the lead for the rest of the set. Twice, Manchester cut its deficit to one. The last time was 23-22 before two Comet kills ended the match.

FOR THE COMETS

• For the match, Olivet recorded 46 total kills, with 17 errors on 114 attacks for a .254 hitting percentage.
• Senior Re'Gene Thompson and juniors Courtney Cronkright and Allison Turner each had nine kills. Thompson had only one error on 14 attempts for a .571 attack percentage, as well as five total blocks.
• Freshman Madelyn Notenbaum registered seven kills and 15 set assists.
• Senior Danielle Bearden topped the team with 18 set assists.
• Senior Mona Hinamanu led the Comets with 19 digs.

FOR THE SPARTANS

• Haley Duncan finished with a match-high 17 kills, followed by Courtney Chowning and Farren Miller with 12 kills apiece.
• Dakota Stanichuk collected 38 set assists.
• Miller and Ann Marie Lawrie each recorded 12 digs.

THE BASICS
Final Score: Olivet def. Anderson 24-26, 25-19, 25-19, 21-25, 15-10
Location: O.C. Lewis Gymnasium; Anderson, Ind.
Records: Olivet 2-0 overall, Anderson 0-1 overall

HOW IT HAPPENED

• There was eight tied scores early in the opening set. Following a 14-13 Raven lead, Anderson had three straight kills to take a 17-13 lead for the largest lead of the set. Olivet battled back to tie the set at 19-19. The teams traded points to cause three more tied scores. With the score knotted at 24-24, the Ravens scored the final two points of the set.
• The second set was similar to the first, with several ties in the beginning of it. Following a 12-12 deadlock, Olivet went on a 3-0 run and did not surrender the lead for the rest of the set.
• The Comets had the lead for the entire third set, leading by as many as six on three occasions.
• Anderson trailed only briefly, 2-1, in the fourth set. The Ravens built their lead to as many as eight points, 15-7. Olivet scored 13 of the next 18 points to cut its deficit down to a single points, 21-20. Anderson ended the set on a 4-1 run.
• With the deciding set tied at 6-6, the Comets took advantage of three Raven errors to go up 9-6. Anderson responded with three straight points to tie the set at 9-9. Olivet put six of the final 10 points on the scoreboard to win the set and match. Five of the Comets' six points were on kills.

FOR THE COMETS

• Olivet finished the match with 66 kills and 22 errors on 187 attacks for a .235 hitting percentage.
• Notenbaum posted a triple double – 17 kills, 24 set assists and 19 digs – to lead the Comets. She hit at a .394 clip.
• Freshman Morgan Champion was next with 14 kills, followed by Turner and Thompson with 13 and 10, respectively.
• Thompson also had four total blocks.
• Bearden dished out a team-leading 29 set assists.
• Hinamanu recorded a team-best 24 digs.

FOR THE SPARTANS

• Courtney Copp led all players with 24 kills.
• Sydney Coffman registered 30 set assists.
• Megan Wade had 30 digs.

BEYOND THE BOX SCORES

• Ironically, Olivet began the 2015 season the exact same way it has started the 2016 season – a four-set win over Manchester and five-set win over Anderson. The difference was last year's wins were at Adrian College.
• Bearden became the third player in school history to surpass the 2,000 plateau in career set assists.

UP NEXT

• Olivet continues play tomorrow morning at the Raven Invitational. The Comets will play Franklin (Ind.) College at 10 a.m., and Mount St. Joseph (Ohio) University at 2 p.m.