Women’s Volleyball: Olivet loses five-set match at Manchester

N. MANCHESTER, Ind. – The University of Olivet women's volleyball team fell to Manchester (Ind.) University in a thrilling five-set, non-conference match tonight inside Stauffer-Wolfe Arena. The middle three sets were decided by the minimum two points, and the deciding set was close.

• Final Score: Manchester defeated Olivet 25-14, 25-23, 23-25, 23-25, 15-12
• Location: Stauffer-Wolfe Arena; N. Manchester, Indiana
• Records: Olivet 4-1 overall, Manchester 4-1 overall

• The first half of the opening set was back-and-forth, as neither side led by more than one point. After a 13-13 tie, the Spartans ended the set on a 12-1 run to win the set by a 25-14 score.
• In the second set, Olivet was down by five points, 14-9. The Comets put together a 9-1 run to go ahead 18-16. During the run, senior Morgan Dillon served three straight aces. Manchester answered with a 6-1 spurt to take a 22-19 lead. Olivet closed the gap to a single point twice, 22-21 and 24-23, but a Spartan kill handed the set to them by a 25-23 score.
• The third set began with four tied scores and three lead changes. Clinging to an 8-7 lead, the Comets used a 7-1 run to take control of the set. The Spartans battled their way back to even the score at 22-22. Olivet put three of the final four points on the scoreboard to win the set, 25-23.
• The Comets scored the first seven points of the fourth set. Included in the run were two kills by senior Olivia DuFore and two aces by senior Emily Keeler. Manchester came back to make the score 10-9 before another large run put Olivet ahead by six points at 16-10. A 12-6 Spartan spurt tied the score at 22-22. Back-to-back kills helped the Comets get to the set point. A service error made the score 24-23 before a kill by Dillon provided the winning point.
• In the deciding set, Olivet held a two-point lead on two occasions. Following the second time at 5-3, Manchester had a 6-0 run for a 9-5 lead. Not phased, the Comets strung together a 6-1 run to regain the lead. The teams traded points to create tied scores at 11-11 and 12-12. The Spartans scored the final three points to win the set, 15-12, and match three sets to two.

• Three Olivet players reached double digits in kills.
• Junior Abi Nunez led the way with 14 kills, while hitting at a team-best .290 clip.
• Junior Hayleah McFadden was next with 12 kills, and DuFore finished with 11.
• Dillon recorded five of the 10 Olivet service aces.
• Junior Teagan Giannunzio collected 43 set assists.
• Sophomore Jaydn Cary tallied 17 digs.

• Olivet participates in the North Coast Athletic Conference-Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association Crossover on Friday and Saturday. The Comets are a part of the pool of schools at the College of Wooster (Ohio). On Friday, Olivet faces Oberlin (Ohio) College at 2:30 p.m. and Kenyon (Ohio) College at 6:30 p.m. The Comets play the host Scots on Saturday morning at 10 a.m.