La CROSSE, Wis. – The Macalester College volleyball team beat Luther College in four sets before being edged by Bethany Lutheran College in five sets Saturday afternoon at the UW-La Crosse Tournament in Mitchell Hall. The Scots went 1-2 in the tournament and are now 8-5 on the season.

In the day's first game against Luther, Macalester opened with 14 kills and just three attack errors for a .344 hitting percentage in the first set to win, 25-15. Junior right side Avery Rahe (Olathe, Kan./Olathe) tallied six kills in the set. After Luther won the second set, 25-20, the Scots trailed in the third by as many as eight points before battling back. With the score 21-17 Norse, Macalester notched eight of the final 10 points to win the set, 25-23. Senior outside hitter Adisa Preston (Eden Prairie, Minn./Eden Prairie) had four kills and seven service aces in the set.

Again the Scots fell behind in the fourth set until four straight points put Macalester ahead late, 24-22. Luther fended off the first set point with a kill, only to have senior right side Grace Galer (Hanover Park, Ill./Schaumburg) and sophomore middle blocker Alia Sherrow (Chattanooga, Tenn./Baylor School) register a block to clinch the win, 25-23.

Preston racked up 15 kills, including four in the final set, to lead the Scots. She also had seven aces and 14 digs in a solid all-around effort. Rahe finished with 12 kills, with senior setter Nicole Norton (Brussels, Wis./Southern Door) and first year setter Camilia Jones (Orlando, Fla.) delivering 19 and 14 assists, respectively. Norton also had six service aces. Senior libero Torrance Williams (Houston, Texas/Yes Prep Northbrook) added 16 digs and junior defensive specialist Sarah Bohrer (Minneapolis, Minn./Edina) had 10 digs to lead the defense.

Things started well for Macalester in the match against Bethany Lutheran, with the Scots winning the first set, 25-23. Rahe and sophomore outside hitter MiLani Terrell (Cypress, Texas/Tomball Memorial) each had four kills as Macalester recorded 16 kills in the set. Bethany Lutheran responded by winning the next two sets, 25-17 and 25-20. The Scots stayed alive by outlasting the Vikings in the fourth set, 27-25. Down 25-24, kills by Preston and Galer and an ace by Preston gave Macalester the win.

In the fifth and deciding set, the Scots started slowly and trailed 14-7 before staving off match point four times with two kills apiece from Galer and Preston. But the Vikings put the match away with a kill to win the final set, 15-11. Preston continued to stay hot, registering a career-high 24 kills to go with 24 digs to lead Macalester. Rahe had 12 kills, while Galer finished with a career-high 10 kills. Jones had 28 assists and Norton tallied 23 assists, as the Scots put away a season-best 62 kills. Williams matched Preston with 24 digs, and Jones added 17 digs. Williams also was named to the All-Tournament Team after averaging 4.62 digs over 13 sets at the tournament.

Macalester begins MIAC play with a match at Concordia College on Thursday, Sept. 26. The first serve is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. in Moorhead, Minn.

MAC - 25 20 25 25
LC - 15 25 23 23
Luther box score

BLC - 23 25 25 25 15
MAC - 25 17 20 27 11
BLC box score