Alma, Mich. - Playing the first of two home matches on Friday (Sept. 25), the Alma College volleyball team fell to fifth-ranked Calvin, 3-0 (25-4, 25-16, 25-22) at the Art Smith Arena. The Scots (5-8 overall, 2-3 MIAA) had a three-match winning streak snapped, while the Knights (11-3 overall 6-0 MIAA) remained the only undefeated team in league play.

In the first set, Calvin hit .720, recording 18 kills and no errors in 25 attempts en route to a 25-4 victory. The second set saw Calvin jump out to an 8-3 lead before the Scots closed the gap at 11-8. Alma would not get any closer, as the Knights took four of the next five points and held on for the 24-16 victory.

The final set saw the Scots play evenly with Calvin. Down 21-17, Alma battled back with kills by sophomore Dakota Pelach (Gaylord, Mich./Gaylord) and junior Kendall Sells (Muskegon, Mich./Mona Shores), plus a block on Calvin's Anna Kamp by Sells and junior Madison Smith (Westphalia, Mich./Pewamo-Westphalia) to make it 21-10. The Knights, however, would seal the match by taking four of the final six points to secure the 3-0 victory.

Sells, along with senior Hannah Guilford (Hartland, MIch./Hartland) and sophomore Dorothy Buening (Pinckney, Mich./Pinckney) lead the Scots with six kills each, while Buening hit .417 for the match, committing only one error in her 12 attacks. Junior Maressa Miller (Grand Blanc, Mich./Grand Blanc) had a team-high seven digs while Pelach paced Alma with nine assists. Maggie Kamp paced the Knights with 10 kills.

QUOTES

Head Coach Sarah Dehring

On the match...

"We came out very tentative and hesitant and Calvin's name game them the first two sets. We did play stronger in the third set, but there was still doubt in our minds. Calvin didn't beat us tonight, we beat ourselves. I thought Kendall Sells played a nice match. She was always playing agressive and she set our block early. She came out strong and played strong throughout the whole match."