WINONA, Minn. – The Macalester College volleyball team picked up a big MIAC victory on the road, defeating Saint Mary's University in five sets Friday night at Saint Mary's Gym. The Scots, who won by scores of 29-27, 10-25, 28-26, 22-25, 15-12, are now 13-8 overall and 4-4 in conference play, while the Cardinals drop to 7-17, 3-5 MIAC.
The win ensures a winning record for Macalester for the first time since 2006 and keeps the Scots in contention for a spot in the MIAC Playoffs. The top six teams make the playoffs, and Macalester currently is tied for fifth with Saint Benedict.
The first set was a tight one, as Macalester registered 18 kills to outlast Saint Mary's, 29-27. First year
Adisa Preston (Eden Prairie, Minn./Eden Prairie) tallied six kills in the set. The Cardinals dominated the second set, hitting .500 while limiting the Scots to just three kills in a 25-10 win. The third set was another thriller, with Saint Mary's staving off three Macalester set points to create a set point of their own at 26-25. The Scots were resilient, bouncing back to record three straight points, including a kill by junior
Eliza King (Novato, Calif./San Marin), to win the set, 28-26 and take a 2-1 lead in the match.
The fourth set was another barnburner, with the Cardinals scoring four of the final five points to win, 25-22 and force a fifth and deciding set. The Scots leaned on Preston and King down the stretch, as Preston notched five kills and King had three kills to lead Macalester to a 15-12 win. First year
Jill MacInnis (Orland Park, Ill./Carl Sandberg) closed out the match with a service ace.
Preston led the Scots with a career-high 21 kills to go with 20 digs and three aces. King registered 18 kills, 23 digs and four blocks, while junior
Zoe Lowe (Longmont, Calif./Longmont) added eight kills. Junior
Emily Drexler (Portland, Ore./Roosevelt) and senior
Claire Loomans (Minneapolis, Minn./Southwest) split the setting duties, with Drexler tallying 24 assists and Loomans recording 23 assists. Defensively,
Torrance Williams (Houston, Texas/Yes Prep Northbrook) matched King with 23 digs, and sophomore
Anna Fritz (Mountain View, Calif./Mountain View) totaled six blocks. Ciarra McNally paced the Cardinals with 22 kills and 14 digs.
Macalester hosts MIAC leader Hamline on Saturday, Oct. 23, as the Scots will honor their seniors on Senior Night. The first serve goes up at 7:00 p.m. in the Leonard Center.
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