ST. PAUL, Minn. – The Macalester College volleyball team closed out the St. Paul Classic with two matches Saturday in the Leonard Center. The eight-team tournament was played at both Macalester and Hamline Friday and Saturday. The Scots fell to UW-Superior in a tough five-set match, 12-25, 25-22, 27-25, 20-25, 15-8, then lost in three sets to Minnesota Morris, 25-20, 25-14, 25-22. Macalester is now 3-5 on the season.
In the first game against UW-Superior (5-1), Macalester dominated the first set, holding the Yellowjackets to 12 points and a -.040 hitting percentage en route to a 25-12 win. Junior outside hitter
Adonia Anene (North Hollywood, Calif./The Buckley School) and first year middle blockers
Kyle Speta (San Francisco, Calif./The Urban School of San Francisco) and
Siennah Calkins (Tomahawk, Wis./Tomahawk) each had two kills for the Scots.
Neither team led by more than two points in the second set until UW-Superior put together three straight points for a 19-16 edge. Macalester pulled to within one, 19-18 but eventually fell, 25-22. Anene and Speta led the way with four kills in the set.
The third set was tight at the end, with the score tied five times over the final 13 points. At 24-24, a kill by Calkins gave the Scots set point, only to have the Yellowjackets tally the final three points to win, 27-25. Speta had four kills and first year outside hitter
Channing Smith (River Forest, Ill./Oak Park River Forest) added three kills for Macalester. The Scots controlled the fourth set, leading by as many as six points en route to a 25-20 victory. Anene and Calkins recorded four kills, as Macalester put away 17 kills in the fourth set.
In the fifth set, the Yellowjackets used a 6-0 run to turn a 6-5 lead into a commanding 12-5 advantage. The Scots scored the next two points but could not hold off UW-Superior in a 15-8 win.
Anene led Macalester with 12 kills, Speta notched 11 kills and Calkins contributed 10 kills and four blocks. Smith registered nine kills and 14 digs. First year defensive specialist
Morgan Stone (Colorado Springs, Colo./Liberty) racked up eight service aces. Senior setter
Hannah Morrow (Raleigh, N.C./Millbrook) had 31 assists and 10 digs, while first year setter
Lydia Koshuta (Appleton, Wis./Appleton) added 15 assists and 14 digs. Junior libero
Lizzie Joo (San Jose, Calif./Valley Christian) paced the defense with 18 digs.
Against Minn. Morris (5-2), the Cougars stayed ahead of the Scots late in the first set to earn a 25-20 win. Calkins had three kills for Macalester. Minn. Morris controlled the second set, leading by as many as 10 before closing with three straight points to take the set, 25-14. Speta notched four kills for the Scots. Macalester didn't give up, battling in the third set to stay alive in the match. Down 11-8, the Scots used aces by Morrow and Stone to go on an 8-2 run for a 16-13 lead. But the Cougars responded with eight consecutive points to regain control, 21-16. Macalester came within two points, 24-22 following a kill by sophomore right side
Danielle Oji (Katy, Texas/Obra D. Tompkins), but Natalie Wahl's 11th kill of the match ended the contest in Minn. Morris' favor.
Speta finished with seven kills, a .353 hitting percentage and three blocks to lead the Scots. Morrow finished with 10 assists, while Stone had four service aces. Joo and Morrow each had nine digs.
Macalester hosts Bethany Lutheran in a non-conference match on Wednesday, Sept. 16. The first serve is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. in the Leonard Center.
