Women’s Volleyball: Olivet beats Alma in MIAA-opener

OLIVET, Mich. –The University of Olivet women's volleyball team started the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) portion of its schedule with a four-set win over Alma College this evening at the Cutler Event Center. The Comets won the first two sets by matching 25-17 scores. The Scots earned a 25-23 win in the third set before Olivet earned the win with a 25-20 victory in the fourth set.

• Final Score: Olivet defeated Alma 25-17, 25-17, 23-25, 25-20
• Location: Cutler Event Center; Olivet, Michigan
• Records: Olivet 9-8 overall, 1-0 MIAA; Alma 10-6 overall, 0-1 MIAA

• The Comets scored the first two points of the first set and did not give up the lead for the remainder of the set. For the set, Olivet had 16 kills and had a .351 attack percentage.
• The second set saw the Comets race out to a 4-0 lead. The momentum carried through the set, as Olivet led by as many as 10 points on two occasions (14-4, 15-5) before settling for the eight-point win. For the set, the Comets had 12 kills with only one attack error on 31 attempts for a .355 hitting percentage.
• In the third set, Alma built a six-point cushion, 17-11. The Scots maintained the lead at 22-16. Three straight kills by junior Abi Nunez and an attack error closed the gap to two points, 22-20. Alma scored the next point, but Olivet answered with three points on two kills and an attack error to level the score. Two Scot kills ended the set in their favor.
• Alma held an 11-10 lead in the fourth. After tying the score on a Scot service error, sophomore Jaydn Cary stepped to the service line and helped the Comets score seven consecutive points to make the score 18-11. Alma trimmed its deficit down to four points, 20-16, before three Olivet points made the score 23-16. The Comets led by at least five points for the rest of the set.

• For the match, Olivet totaled 52 kills compared to 45 for the Scots. The difference in the match was the Comets had a .212 attack percentage to .094 for Alma. Olivet also had 14 more digs, 83 to 69.
• Nunez topped the offense with 19 kills, followed by senior Olivia DuFore with 16.
• Senior Morgan Dillon finished with seven kills.
• Junior Teagan Giannunzio dished out 44 set assists.
• Cary led the defense with 21 digs.
• DuFore, Giannuzio and senior Emily Keeler each tallied 14 digs.
• Junior Maddie Reynolds had 10 digs.
• Junior Hayleah McFadden and junior Jaelyn Hampton recorded five assisted blocks apiece.

• Olivet steps out of conference play for the final time this season Thursday night when it travels to play Grace Christian University. First serve inside the Aldrich Athletic Center is scheduled for 6 p.m.