Alma, Mich. - The Alma College volleyball team closed off Kalamazoo 3-1 (25-14, 25-16, 22-25, 25-20) on Saturday (Sept. 22). Freshman Sara Majerle (Rockford, Mich. / Rockford) led all players with 17 kills on a .293 hit percentage. Senior Katie Bush (Lowell, Mich. / Lowell) tallied 11 kills on a .308 hit percentage and two solo blocks. Sophomore Haley Novak (Midland, Mich. / Bullock Creek) notched 44 assists and seven kills on 14 attacks with no errors.

Alma is now 11-2 overall and 1-1 in the MIAA. Kalamazoo falls to 3-11 and 0-2.

How it Happened

• Alma started the match hot. It controlled the first set early with an 11-4 lead. Eight of Alma's first 11 points were either kills or aces. Kalamazoo got back to within three at 11-8 but the Scots kept their foot on the pedal. They scored five of the next six points, then closed the set on a 9-2 run.
• The set second was tight until about halfway through. Neither team took more than a one-point lead until Alma took control with a 6-1 run to go up 13-8. The two teams traded points until Alma again turned on the pressure with a 7-0 run to go up 23-13. Haley Ullrich would get the last two kills to secure the set win.
• Alma came out slow in the third set. It fell behind 3-0 early and continued to play from behind throughout the set. The Scots got to within one in the middle of the set, but could not force a tie. Kalamazoo began to pull away with three straight points to go up 22-18. Alma responded with three straight points of its own, but the Hornets finished the set with three consecutive kills to earn their first and only set win.
• Alma came out with a vengeance in the fourth set, taking a 5-1 lead behind three kills and two aces. Kalamazoo found its footing, eventually working its way back to down one at 13-12. From there, Alma went on an 8-1 run, with every point coming from kills — Sara Majerle had five of them. Kalamazoo worked its way back into the game briefly, but couldn't get out of their own way — it gifted the Scots three of their last four points.

Notables

• The Scots had a strong attacking day. They posted over 12 kills in each set, finishing with a team-high 18 in the fourth set. It also hit over .222 in each set except the first, where it hit .182.
• The highest kill percentage in a set came from the Hornets. They hit .375 on 19 kills and four errors in the third set.
• Alma had 12 kills in the first set; Kalamazoo had six.
• Forty-four assists are the third-most in Haley Novak's career.
• Georgia Miller (Georgetown, Ky. / Scott County) had a team-high 19 digs, tied for the second-most she's had this season and the most in her last three games.
• Katie Bush had a team-high .308 kill percentage.
• Naomi Mason (Kaleva, Mich. / Brethren) led the team with 2.5 blocks. Katie Bush was close behind with two, but also had a blocking error.

Up Next

Alma remains at home for a match against Trine on Wednesday, Sept. 26 at 6:30 p.m.