UOlivet drops five-set thriller to Saint Mary’s

OLIVET, Mich. – The University of Olivet women's volleyball team suffered a five-set loss to Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) foe Saint Mary's (Ind.) College this afternoon at the Cutler Event Center.

THE BASICS

• Final Score: Saint Mary's defeated Olivet 20-25, 28-26, 27-29, 25-22, 15-7
• Location: Cutler Event Center; Olivet, Michigan
• Records: Olivet 8-18 overall, 3-5 MIAA; Saint Mary's 16-10 overall, 3-5 MIAA

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Olivet raced out to a 5-2 lead in the first and eventually led by as many as 11 points, 24-13. The Belles scored seven straight points to close the gap to four points. A kill by junior Julia Hall ended the set in the Comets' favor, 25-20.
• Saint Mary's held the lead for most of the second set. Down 15-13, the Comets used a 3-0 spurt to take their first lead, 16-15. Olivet held the lead until the Belles came back to even the score on four occasions. Saint Mary's then went ahead by a point twice at 22-21 and 23-22. Two kills by senior Morgan Good got the Comets to set point, 24-23. The teams traded points to make the score 25-24 and 26-25. The Belles then used back-to-back kills and Olivet attack error to win the set, 28-26.
• Saint Mary's carried the momentum into the third set and built a five-point cushion, 7-2. The Comets battled back to tie the score, 8-8. The Belles responded with five straight points for a 13-8 lead. Olivet chipped away at its deficit and eventually led by a point twice, 16-15 and 17-16. Saint Mary's fought back with a 5-0 run to take a 21-17 lead. The Comets used a 5-1 run to even the score at 22-22. The teams exchanged points, creating five tied scores. Back-to-back kills by freshman Payton Smith gave the set win to Olivet.
• The Belles jumped out to a 9-4 lead in the fourth set. The Comets strung together a 6-1 burst to level the score at 10-10. Saint Mary's scored the next point before a kill by Hall and a double block at the net made the score 12-11. The Belles responded with a 3-0 spurt to go up 14-12. Olivet tied the score at 14-14. Saint Mary's scored the next two points and did not relinquish the advantage for the rest of the set.
• The teams traded the first two points of the deciding set. Three consecutive points for the Belles made the score 4-1. The Comets never recovered from the deficit, as Saint Mary's went on to win the set, 15-7.

FOR THE COMETS

• For the match, Olivet recorded 72 kills, which is the second-most in a UOlivet history for a single match and 67 set assists, which ranks fourth.
• Hall pounded down 22 kills, with only two errors in 29 attempts for a .690 attack percentage, which is second-best in UOlivet history for a match.
• Payton Smith was next with 19 kills.
• Good tallied a career-best 17 kills.
• Sophomore Jordyn Smith dished out 60 set assists, which ranks third for a match in UOlivet history.
• Senior libero Jaydn Cary collected 17 digs.

UP NEXT

• The Comets have secured a spot in the 2025 MIAA Tournament and will travel to play Albion College in a first round match next Tuesday, November 11, at 7 p.m.