MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – The Macalester College volleyball team faced Augsburg University on the road in a MIAC match on Thursday at Si Melby Hall, falling in four sets, 24-26, 26-24, 25-12, 25-22. Despite 11 kills from first-year outside hitter
Channing Smith (River Forest, Ill./Oak Park River Forest) and strong play that kept the match close, the Scots drop to 7-14 overall and 2-5 in conference play. The Auggies improve to 8-13, 3-4 MIAC.
In a tight first set, Macalester trailed 20-17 before scoring four straight points, including a kill by Smith and an ace from first year defensive specialist
Morgan Stone (Colorado Springs, Colo./Liberty) to take a 21-20 lead. Augsburg regained the upper hand and had set point at 24-22, but a kill by first year middle blocker
Kyle Speta (San Francisco, Calif./Urban School of San Francisco), two Auggie attack errors and another kill from Smith gave the Scots the win, 26-24. Smith had four kills and Speta and first year middle blocker
Siennah Calkins (Tomahawk, Wis./Tomahawk) had three kills apiece in the set.
Momentum stayed with Macalester into the second set, as the Scots led 22-16 and 23-18 in pursuit of a two-set lead. But Augsburg reeled off five straight points to tie the score at 23-23, and after an attack error gave Macalester set point at 24-23, the Auggies closed out the set with three kills to tie the match at one set apiece. Smith led the Scots with five kills.
After Augsburg cruised to a 25-13 win in the third set, Macalester fell behind early in the fourth set but fought back. Down 19-11, the Scots registered six of the next seven points on three kills by junior outside hitter
Adonia Anene (North Hollywood, Calif./The Buckley School) and another by first year outside hitter
Maxine Holmes (San Francisco, Calif./Lick-Wilmerding) that made the score 20-17. Later in the set, kills by Smith and junior right side
Hannah Eisenman (Cary, N.C./Green Level) brought Macalester to within one, 23-22. Again the Auggies responded down the stretch, tallying the final two points to win the set and the match. Anene notched five kills in the final set.
Smith totaled a team-best 11 kills to go with eight digs to pace Macalester. Anene contributed 10 kills, while Eisenman and Holmes added eight and seven kills, respectively. Senior setter
Hannah Morrow (Raleigh, N.C./Millbrook) registered 20 assists and a team-high 20 digs, with first year setter
Lydia Koshuta (Appleton, Wis./Appleton) tallying 14 assists and 17 digs. Stone finished with three service aces on the night. Lilly Winn led Augsburg with 12 kills.
Macalester continues its schedule with a home match against MIAC foe Bethel University on Saturday, Oct. 24. The first serve goes up at 5:00 p.m. in the Leonard Center.
