KALAMAZOO, Mich. - Both teams entered with identical 10-3 non-conference records, but it was the visiting Olivet College Comets coming away with the three-set win in the MIAA opener for both teams, 27-25, 25-23, 25-23.
The first set was back-and-forth and tied multiple times, including 20-20. Kalamazoo took a 23-21 lead, but following an Olivet timeout, the Comets scored three straight points to go up 24-23. Kalamazoo evened it up at 24-24 and the score was tied again at 25-25 before Olivet scored the final two points to win the set.
Olivet pulled ahead early in the second set leading 8-3 and then 11-5. The Hornets rallied back to take a 15-13 lead before the set was knotted up again at 16-16. Olivet gained the edge again and pulled out the 25-23 win.
The third set was neck-and-neck until Olivet finally grabbed a four-point lead at 19-15. Kalamazoo cut it to two at 21-19 before trailing 24-20. The Hornets rallied for three straight points to make it 24-23, but Olivet was able to close out the set and the match with another 25-23 win.
Olivet hit .168 in the match compared to .074 for Kalamazoo.
Madi Goodman led the Hornets with 10 kills while Ashley Rill finished with nine.
Grace Kraft recorded 30 assists while Taylor Ferguson led the team with 19 digs.
Maddie Wojcik added 15 digs, McKenna Hepler 14 digs, and Rill also had double-digits with 11.
Kalamazoo is back in action at home on Saturday with an MIAA match against Alma at 11 a.m. The Hornets then face Defiance in a non-conference match scheduled for 3 p.m.