ST. PAUL, Minn. – The Macalester College volleyball team battled the College of Saint Benedict in a classic five-set match, only to come up short, 25-12, 20-25, 20-25, 25-18, 15-11 in a MIAC match Friday night in the Leonard Center. The Scots are now 3-12 overall and 0-3 in the conference, while the Bennies improve to 10-3, 2-1 MIAC.

After losing the first set, Macalester took control of the match by winning the next two sets. In the second set, the Scots turned an early 4-3 deficit into a 7-4 lead and never relinquished it, leading by as many as seven before winning the set 25-20. Sophomore outside hitter Adonia Anene (North Hollywood, Calif./The Buckley School) registered six kills in the set, as Macalester hit .387. The Scots broke a 5-5 tie in the third set with seven straight points and cruised to a 25-20 win. Anene and senior right side Avery Rahe (Olathe, Kan./Olathe West) each had four kills.

Down 2-1, Saint Benedict came back with a dominating performance in the fourth set, limiting Macalester to six kills en route to a 25-18 win. In the fifth and deciding set, three kills by Rahe helped the Scots stay close, 8-6 after trailing 7-3. The Bennies maintained the lead, and after a kill by Anene made the score 11-8 Saint Ben's, the visitors registered three straight points to create match point, 14-8. After three consecutive attack errors by the Bennies, including a block by Anene and first year Danielle Oji (Katy, Texas/Obra D. Tompkins), Saint Benedict closed out the win with a kill by Antonia Chowhan for a 15-11 win. Rahe and Anene each tallied three kills apiece in the final set.

Anene led all players with 15 kills to go with 15 digs, with Rahe adding 11 kills. Sophomore setter Camilia Jones (Orlando, Fla.) tallied 19 assists and nine digs, with junior setter Hannah Morrow (Raleigh, N.C./Millbrook) contributing 14 assists and 17 digs. Sophomore libero Elizabeth Joo (San Jose, Calif./Valley Christian) tallied a team-best 18 digs, while junior middle blocker Sydney Stratton (North Liberty, Iowa/Liberty) had six blocks (three solo, three assists) to go with seven kills. Kali Jones paced the Bennies with 12 kills and 25 digs.

The Scots play a pair of non-conference matches on Saturday, Oct. 4 at UW-River Falls. Macalester will take on No. 3 UW-Oshkosh at 3:00 p.m. and the host Falcons at 7:00 p.m.