Angola, Ind. - The Alma College volleyball team defeated Trine (19-25, 25-22, 21-25, 26-24, 15-12) on Tuesday evening. It is the second time the Scots have beaten Trine this year, the first being a 3-0 victory on September 23.

Alma is now 5-9 in the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association and 8-14 overall while Trine falls to 7-7 and 12-12.

Both Katie Bush (Lowell, Mich. / Lowell) and Kara Muxlow (Brown City, Mich. / Brown City) set new career-highs in kills. Bush led the Scots with 13 kills and a .258 hit percentage while Muxlow was second on the team in both categories (12 kills, .212 hit percentage).

What Happened

• The match was close to begin. Neither team had a lead greater than two points until Trine went on a 5-1 run to take a 20-16 lead. The Thunder would go on to score five of the next seven points to win the first set.
• Alma bounced back with a second set win. The Scots were powered by 5-0 and 4-0 to separate themselves from Trine. The 4-0 run came with the score tied at 17 and, despite a late surge from the Thunder, Alma tied the match at one on Dakota Pelach's (Gaylord, Mich. / Gaylord) fifth kill of the set.
• Trine would respond by taking the third game. A 5-1 run with the score tied at six gave the Thunder an 11-7 lead. Another 5-1 run would extend their three-point lead to seven points. Alma would score six of the set's final nine points, but it wasn't enough to prevent Trine from taking the third set 25-21.
• The Scots trailed 15-9 halfway through the fourth set but battled back to eventually win 26-24. Alma scored six straight points to tie the game at 15 and eventually took a 24-22 lead behind three straight kills from Muxlow, Georgia Miller (Georgetown, Ky. / Scott County) and Pelach, forcing Trine to call a timeout. Though the Thunder would tie the game at 24, they immediately committed two straight errors to give Alma the set.
• Alma won the match by getting nine kills in the third set and capitalizing off six Trine errors. Katie Bush (Lowell, Mich. / Lowell) led Alma with three kills in the set and Brianna Zimmer (Mt. Pleasant, Mich. / Mt. Pleasant) ended the match with her fifth kill of the night.

Notables

• Alma hit .250 in the third set, their best hit percentage of the contest. All six of Alma's starters, not including libero Brooke Mason (Marshall, Mich. / Marshall), recorded a kill in the third set.
• Haley Novak (Midland, Mich. / Bullock Creek) finished one kill away from a triple-double. It is the second time this season she has come within one kill of a triple-double and the fifth time coming within three kills.
• Miller led the team with 25 digs. Following the match, she sits in seventh place in the conference in digs per set (4.14) and eighth in total digs (331).
• Muxlow finished with six blocks, one off her career high, set in 2016 against Marian (Wisc.).

What's Next

The Scots play their final road game of the year on Friday, Oct. 27 against Olivet. Alma dropped a four-set match to the Comets in late September.

Contact: Zach Russo, Assistant Sports Information Director, (989) 463-7436