UOlivet loses in three sets to Hope

OLIVET, Mich. – The University of Olivet women's volleyball team was swept by Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) leader Hope College in three sets (25-23, 25-14, 29-27) tonight at the Cutler Event Center. The Flying Dutch are ranked No. 11 in this week's American Volleyball Coaches Association Top 25 poll.

THE BASICS

• Final Score: Hope defeated Olivet 25-23, 25-14, 29-27
• Location: Cutler Event Center; Olivet, Michigan
• Records: Olivet 8-14 overall, 3-2 MIAA; Hope 19-5 overall, 6-0 MIAA

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Flying Dutch built a six-point lead, 22-16, in the first set. Olivet fought back with five straight points – two kills by freshman Payton Smith, two aces by junior Kaylee McDaniel and Hope attack error – to close the gap to a single point, 22-21. A Comet attack error, followed by a Payton Smith kill made the score 23-22. The Flying Dutch got to set point on an Olivet service error. The Comets saved one set point with a kill by sophomore Ashlynn Giannunzio. Hope ended the set with a kill.
• The second set saw the Flying Dutch lead it from start-to-finish.
• Down 2-1 in the third set, Olivet put six consecutive points, including four kills, on the scoreboard to take a 7-2 lead and force Hope to call a timeout. The Flying Dutch responded with a 5-0 spurt. After that, there were four more tied scores. Following the fourth one at 11-11, the Comets used a service ace and kill by junior Julia Hall to go ahead 13-11.
• Hope answered with a 4-0 run to regain the lead 15-13. The Flying Dutch held the advantage until Olivet took an 18-17 lead. Hope tied the score at 18-18 before eventually going ahead by two points on four occasions, 21-19, 22-20, 23-21 and 24-22. The Comets scored three points on a kill by senior Morgan Good, block at the net by senior Violet Porter and junior Jordyn Smith and kill by freshman Hailey Day to regain the lead 25-24.
• The Flying Dutch responded with back-to-back kills to take the lead back 26-25. A Hope attack error leveled the score before a Comet service error put the Flying Dutch up 27-26. Payton Smith slammed down a kill to even the score at 27-27. Hope won the match via an Olivet attack error and service ace.
• For the match, the Flying Dutch had 47 kills and .283 hitting percentage compared to 39 kills and .162 attack percentage for the Comets. Olivet had one more service ace and one less service error, and both teams recorded six blocks.

FOR THE COMETS

• Day and Payton Smith each ended the match with 10 kills.
• Junior Julia Hall tallied nine kills, with one error on 14 attempts for a .571 hitting percentage.
• Good registered six kills.
• Senior Jaydn Cary had a match-high 15 digs, followed by Giannunzio (13).
• McDaniel and junior Olivia Still collected 10 digs apiece.
• Jordyn Smith collected 35 set assists.

UP NEXT

• Olivet plays its final non-conference match of the season next Monday, October 27, at Madonna University. Match time at the Alliance Catholic Credit Union Arena in Livonia is 8 p.m. There will be a junior varsity match before the varsity match at 6 p.m.