ST. PAUL, Minn. – The Macalester College volleyball team used strong defense and timely hitting to defeat Martin Luther College in four sets Wednesday evening in the Leonard Center. The Scots, who won by scores of 25-18, 14-25, 25-23, 25-17, improve to 3-2 on the season, while the Knights fall to 0-4.

In the first set, Macalester held MLC to six kills and a hitting percentage of -.154 while getting four kills from junior Eliza King (Novato, Calif./San Marin) to win, 25-18. The tables were turned in the second set, as the Knights tallied 12 digs and the Scots committed 11 attack errors to fall, 25-14. The third set went back and forth, with neither team leading by more than five points. With the score tied, 23-23, first years Adisa Preston (Eden Prairie, Minn./Eden Prairie) and Stephanie Geber (Oviedo, Fla./Oviedo) notched back-to-back kills to clinch the set, 25-23. Sophomore Anna Fritz (Mountain View, Calif./Mountain View) led the way with five kills.

In the fourth set, Macalester trailed, 14-13 before scoring six of the next seven points on kills by five different players to lead, 19-15. The Scots ended up tallying the final four points to win the set, 25-17, and the match.

King led Macalester with 14 kills despite hitting just .041. She also registered 12 digs and three blocks. Fritz and Geber each recorded 10 kills, with Fritz contributing five blocks and Geber adding two blocks. First year setter Nicole Norton (Brussels, Wis./Southern Door) dished out 31 assists to go with 15 digs, while Preston led the defense with 17 digs. Kelsey Birschbach paced the Knights with nine kills.

The Scots will compete in the UW-Superior Tournament on Sept. 10-11, starting with matches against Northland and Bethany Lutheran on Friday.

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