Alma, MI – Alma College Volleyball continued their 2023 season with their home opener on Tuesday. The Scots took on 1
st year program Kuyper, crushing the Cougars in 3 straight sets.
The Scots hit well over the course of the match, with their percentage at .191. The service line was where Alma did most of their damage, as the Scots racked up 15 aces in the win. Alma forced Kuyper into a number of mistakes as well, with the Cougars hitting -.141 with 23 errors to just 14 kills.
The Scots jumped out to a huge advantage in the opening set. Alma led 11-1 after opening on a tear, before Kuyper fought back. 4 straight Cougar points was interrupted by Alma, who flew into a 12-2 run to lead by as much as 17 points. The Scots cruised to an opening set win at 25-11. The second set was much closer, with Alma unable to really pull away from Kuyper. Alma grew the gap to 5 points, but the Cougars held on until the Scots finally put them away at 25-16. The third set would turn out to be the final one, with Alma firing on all cylinders. The hosts jumped out to a 9-2 lead before Kuyper could break up the run. The Scots put the visitors away with a dominant 16-6 run. This run included 4 straight aces near the end of the match, which was ended by a Kuyper error.
On a night where opposition error numbers were up, the Scots offensive output didn't show up in as bright of a fashion as usual.
Brooke LeRoux led with 9 kills, and 13 total points for Alma. Her evening also included 4 aces and a pair of digs.
Madison Neu scored 6 kills on the attack, hitting .333 on 12 attempts.
Lexi Dykstra tossed 14 assists, and
Vicky Villarosa added 7.
Kolbey Boyd dug out 14 attacks to lead the defense, and
Callie Smith led with 3 total blocks.
Boyd also joined the offense for the Scots. If that statement shocks you to read, it should. The senior libero landed 6 aces, which is the most in a 3-set game in Alma College Volleyball history.
The Scots win their home opener to move to 6-2, and turn their attention to a weekend 3-game set at Hanover.
