RIPON, Wis. – The Macalester College volleyball team continued their regular season non-conference play by facing off against Lakeland University and Ripon College in a doubleheader on Saturday, Sept. 5. The Scots fell in their first game in three straight sets 13-25, 18-25 and 21-25
, but turned it around in game two, closing out their tournament by taking down Ripon in three-straight (25-16, 25-16 and 25-15).
The Scots started the first set against Lakeland with confidence, with an opening kill by first year middle blocker
Kyle Speta (San Francisco, Calif./The Urban School of San Francisco), a few kills early by first year outside hitter
Channing Smith (River Forest, Ill./Oak Park River Forest) and first year middle blocker
Siennah Calkins (Tomahawk, Wis./Tomahawk) to keep the game within one at 5-6. Mac added a few more points in the set with sophomore middle blocker
Danielle Oji (Katy, Texas/Obra D. Tompkins) adding a kill, until a 12-point run by the Muskies closed the door on the Scots ending the set 13-25.
Macalester did not stay asleep in the second set, with junior outside hitter
Adonia Anene (North Hollywood, Calif./The Buckley School) adding an early kill, a service ace by
Lydia Koshuta (Appleton, Wis./Appleton) and a few errors by Lakeland had them tied early 7-7. Macalester continued to play hard, with more kills by Anene, another service ace, and digs by
Lizzie Joo (San Jose, Calif./Valley Christian), but it wasn't enough against a 0.123 hitting Lakeland attack during the second set, as Mac lost the second set 18-25.
Macalester had their third set hopes high, coming out of the gate with kills from Anene, Smith, Speta,
Morgan Stone (Colorado Springs, Colo./Liberty) to even the score at 7-7. The Scots felt the game slipping away after four straight points left them in a 8-12 deficit, but they rallied back to make it 20-20 after a back and forth set that featured services aces, kills by
Maxine Holmes (San Francisco, Calif./Lick-Wilmerding) and Speta. Despite Mac's best attempts to hold against the hot hitting team, they could not pull through as the Muskies went on a 5-1 run to close out the set 25-21.
Smith, Annen and Speta logged 4, 4 and 3 kills respectively, continuing to show up strong for this Macalester squad. Senior setter
Hannah Morrow (Raleigh, N.C./Millbrook) led the team in assists, while Joo led the team with 12 digs.
The Scots had their hopes high in game two, as they searched for a second win this season. They came swinging in the first set with an opening team service ace, a few kills by Calkins, Speta, Anene and with back-to-back kills from Smith, took a commanding 18-11 lead in a set marked with minimal errors by Macalester and a hot shooting attack. Macalester went all gas and no brakes by continuing to add more kills by Smith, Calkins, Anene and with a final kill by Speta, Macalester closed out their first set with a 25-16 win.
The gas for Mac continued in the second set, with kills from Oji, Smith, Anene, Calkins, and Koshuta keep the door closed on any hopes from Ripon to win the second from the hot shooting Macalester team. Macalester shot .200 in the second set, never leading by less than 4 after the first 10 points.
There was no doubt this team wanted the third set for a sweep of their own, with early kills by Anene, Morrow, Smith, Oji, and Koshuta put the Scots up 11-3 early in the third. The Scots did not give much breathing room to the Red Hawks, with more kills by Oji, Anene and Speta proving relentless the third, and despite the Red Hawks almost matching Mac's point total after the 11-3 start, the early game lead proved to be useful with Macalester closing the set out 25-15.
Anene led the team, tying her season high with 13 kills, closely followed by Smith with 10 of her own. Morrow added 19 assists, leading the game, followed by Koshuta with 13. Morrow also led the team in digs with 10.
Next for the Scots: Macalester (2-2) will travel to St. Bonifacius on Wednesday, Sept. 6 to face off against Crown College.
