by Robert Youngs, Jr.
The Kalamazoo College volleyball team earned a thrilling sweep at home of visiting Albion on Saturday, defeating the Britons 25-16, 25-14, 25-23 at Anderson Athletic Center. The Hornets' exciting win brought out some great performances.
Trailing 7-0 in the third set, K had to battle back into it. Kills by sophomore middle hitter Kelsey Hill and freshman outside hitter Nya Greenstone helped the Hornets gain traction and get on the board.
Kills by Hill and junior middle hitter Amanda Bolles cut the Britons' third set lead to 21-14. Then, the Hornets made their run.
A handling error on Albion made it 21-15. Another kill from Hill made it 21-16. A net violation and another Hill effort made it 22-17. An attacking error against the Britons helped K inch closer at 22-19, forcing an Albion timeout.
Greenstone shone brightly at the end of the set, killing four of the Hornets' final five points in the set to finally win it, touching off a huge celebration by Kalamazoo faithful. An ace by Hill and a kill by junior hitter Quinn McCormick assisted the final flurry of points.
The first set was close at 14-10 when Kalamazoo went on a run, with kills from freshman middle hitter Olivia Cares, McCormick and Alex Gothard to help the Hornets to a 17-12 lead. An ace from senior setter Allison Liddane made it 21-13. Hill ended the first set with a kill for a Hornets win, 25-16.
"Our leadership on the floor today came from Gothard," Kalamazoo head coach Jeanne Hess said. "Our middles were in a different place today, and she had to adjust what she did and find a rhythm."
"By the end, she did that," Hess added.
"Hill stepped up as well, in the middle, and so did Nya," said Hess. "Nya really played well today. I was really proud of her."
Leading 16-10 in the second set, K used an 8-0 run to put things away, forcing multiple attacking errors on the part of the Britons to open up a 21-11 lead. A kill by the Briton's Jalyn Ingalls was all but too late, as Greenstone unleashed a thundering kill to end the set at 25-14.
The win for the Hornets is the second in a row following a win over St. Mary's (Ind.). Hess likes her team's chances to make some noise to close out the season.
"The whole season, we've been trying to find the strength within ourselves," Hess said. "Individuals found it, but then the team found it. The team found what they are capable of."
Hess also expressed her delight with having visiting K alumni back to see her teams play. "Having the alumni back is a treat for me, it's better than Christmas. They're special."
"I tell the team, that, on this day, the alumni are where they're going to be, and that they wish they were here playing," Hess added. "For one day, we're all Hornets. It really is a Hornet holiday."
Greenstone led Kalamazoo with 11 kills and hit .333 for the match. Hill added eight, hitting .300 for the match and McCormick had six, hitting .235 on the day. Gothard collected 28 assists while Liddane tallied 17 digs and sophomore defensive specialist Morgan Clothier added 14 digs.
As a team, the Hornets improved their hitting percentage throughout the match, finishing with a .215 hitting percentage. Collectively, Kalamazoo had 36 assists and 59 digs.
The win moves K to 9-17 overall and 4-10 in Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association play.
"I'm very, very proud of this team, in particular, for persevering and doing what they've done. It's awesome to be a Hornet today."
Kalamazoo next travels to Adrian on Oct. 24 for a 7 p.m. match with the Bulldogs. The Hornets return home for Senior Day on Oct. 27 against Olivet, also at 7 p.m.