Alma, Mich. - The Alma College women's volleyball team welcomed Olivet College to Art Smith Arena today (Sept. 12) for their season home opener. The Scots would ultimately fall to the Comets 3-2 in highly contested matches. Alma falls to 1-6 on the year and 1-2 in the MIAA while Olivet improved to 5-1 and 1-1 in the MIAA.

Sophomore Dorothy Buening (Pinckney, Mich./Pinckney) led the Scots with 14 kills, a career high. Junior Sasha Laykova (Ternopil, Ukraine/Forest Hills Northern) finished the day with 12 kills, 15 digs and two blocks. Sophomore Kara Muxlow (Brown City, Mich./Brown City) also had a career high nine kills and led the team with a hitting percentage of .316. Defensive specialist junior Molly Lark (Middleville, Mich./Thornapple-Kellogg) added 23 digs to the match.

After a kill from Buening the Scots took the 7-4 lead in the first set but an Alma error allowed Olivet to take the lead 8-7. The Scots tied the game two more times but the Comets never trailed again and took game one 25-20.

In set two Alma took jumped out to an early 11-5 lead after a kill from freshman Katie Bush (Lowell, Mich./Lowell). Olivet answered with an 8-3 lead but their eight errors in the set helped give the Scots the 27-25 victory. 

The third set was a back and forth battle knotting the match three separate times. The Scots took a marginal five point lead after a kill from Muxlow increasing their lead 15-10. An Alma attack error allowed the Comets back in to tie it 18-18. Alma fought back but came up short as they lost the third set 25-22.

A kill from Pelach and a service ace from Laykova got the fourth set rolling for the Scots. The Comets went on a 7-3 run but Alma managed to tie it 13-13 when junior Madison Smith (Westphalia, Mich./Pewamo-Westphalia) connected with Buening. Alma never looked back and took game four 25-20.

Olivet jumped out to an early 3-0 lead and Alma was defeated in the fifth set 15-10. Laykova led the team in the set with three kills. 

Alma's conference play will continue at home on Wednesday, Sept. 16 as they host Albion College with a 6:30 p.m. start time.