By Mitch Blankespoor
KALAMAZOO, Mich. – The Kalamazoo College volleyball team snapped a 15-year drought on Saturday, Aug. 31. The Hornets won the Green Hornet Invitational for the first time since 1998. Kalamazoo won two four set matches against Anderson University (Ind.) and North Central College (Ill.) to claim the trophy.
"It is a great feeling to finally finish in this tournament," Kalamazoo Head Coach Jeanne Hess said. "I saw blood and guts from this team over the past two days. If it wasn't for the depth of this team, the girls would not have played this well. It was a total team effort."
In the match with Anderson, K won the first set 25-15 but fell 15-13 in set two. The Hornets rebounded to take the final two sets by scores of 25-21 and 25-14.
Sophomore outside hitter Nya Greenstone led the way offensively with 20 kills on 48 attack attempts. The Ann Arbor native also chipped in three service aces and four digs. Junior setter Alex Gothard dished out 41 assists and recorded eight digs.
As a team, K hit a .248 clip while holding the Ravens to just a .074 attack percentage.
In the match with North Central, K won the first two sets by scores of 25-15 and 25-20. The Hornets were on the brink of closing out the match. Leading 24-20, the Cardinals battled back to win six straight points and force a fourth set. North Central gained the early advantage and built its lead to 24-19. A fifth set seemed eminent.
Then déjà vu' happened. Using a service run from Gothard, K scored the final seven points to win the match in four sets.
Freshman Kaela Van Til led the Hornets with 15 kills. Gothard dished out 42 assists and hit the floor for 17 digs. Freshman libero Logan Horejsi chipped in 12 digs and served two aces.
"Logan [Horejsi], Kaela [Van Til], and Paige [Johnson] all came to play this weekend," Hess said. "Their defense was outstanding."
Greenstone and Gothard were named to the All-Tournament Team. Joining them were Courtney Carver of Anderson, Laura Kluk of North Central, Makenna Hamilton of Manchester, and Shelby Switzer of North Park.
"Nya [Greenstone] and Alex [Gothard] were in the zone today," said Hess. "They connected all weekend long."
Kalamazoo, now 4-0 on the season, will return to action Tuesday, Sept. 3, when it hosts the St. Mary's College Belles in the MIAA opener for both teams.