Angola, Ind. - The Alma College volleyball team fell in a tight 3-2 decision to Trine University (IN) on Wednesday (Oct. 2). It is the first time the Scots have dropped a five-set match this season.

Sara Majerle (Rockford, Mich. / Rockford) and Georgia Miller (Georgetown, Ky. / Scott County) led the team with 19 kills each. Haley Novak (Midland, Mich. / Bullock Creek) tallied 35 assists and Bailey Cantrell (Holt, Mich. / Mason) had a team-best 27 digs.

Alma posted 12 kills in the first set and took advantage of 10 Trine errors to take a 1-0 lead. The Thunder found its footing in the next set to tie the match and pulled away from the Scots late in the third set to take a one-game lead.

Alma responded with a gritty win in the fourth set, one which saw the Scots and Thunder trade 11 straight points until the score was 21-20. Alma got the last four points by a kill from Kylie Sicken (Shelby Twp., Mich. / Utica Eisenhower) and an ace from Victoria Zions (Washington Twp., Mich. / Romeo High School), as well as two Trine errors, to win 25-20 and force a decisive fifth set.

Trine got out to a 6-2 lead, then extended it to 12-7 before the Scots rallied. Alma made it 12-9 after a long rally that ended with a kill from Miller. Blocks from Sicken, Zions and Rachael Parrett (Gladwin, Mich. / Gladwin High School) brought Alma to within one point at 12-11, but the Scots gave up the last three points by error, including two attacks that landed just long of the end line to finish the game.

Alma has two days to shake this loss off before its next match. It will travel to Millikin University in Decatur, Ill. on Friday (Oct. 4) to take on Coe College (IA) in the first of three games at the Millikin University Fall Triangular. The Scots and Kohawks will begin at 7:00 p.m.