The Malone University volleyball team overcame a two-set deficit to earn a hard-fought five-set comeback victory over Tiffin University Friday night.

After a Malone kill that knotted it up at 15-15 in the first set, the Pioneers committed 6 errors allowing Tiffin to win 10 of the final 13 points in capturing the first set 25-18. Despite running out to a 9-5 lead in the second frame, Malone committed 15 more errors as Tiffin rallied to a 25-21 win. The Pioneers, however, turned the match around in the third set, hitting .306 en route to a 25-19 win.  The fourth set was more of the same as the Pioneers, who tallied 18 kills in the first two sets combined, landed 18 kills in a 25-23 triumph.  Malone held on for a 15-12 fifth-set win to secure the comeback victory.

Malone tied season-highs with 59 kills and 57 assists in the match. Junior Haley Kool set a career-high with 14 kills to lead the way for the Pioneers. A balanced offensive attack featured three more Pioneers with double-digit kills and a fourth not far behind as Elizabeth Maczuzak, Mallory Adams, Veronica Gehring, and Sarah Brent finished with 13, 12, 10, and 8 kills respectively. Setter Cathryn Miller set a career-high with 56 assists to go along with 3 service aces. Defensive specialist Lynsey Trusty set a new career mark with 5 service aces.

Defensively, freshman libero Maggie Hamrock collected a team-high 20 digs.  Elizabeth Maczuzak and Cathryn Miller each earned double-doubles after pulling in 12 and 10 digs, while Lynsey Trusty chipped in with 11 digs. Haley Kool and Mallory Adams recorded 3 blocks apiece.

For the Dragons, Jillian Campbell finished with a game-high 16 kills.

With the win, the Pioneers avenged an earlier season loss to the Dragons and improved to 11-21 on the year and 4-13 in the GLIAC. Malone will finish the season schedule tomorrow (Saturday) November 14th when they travel to Ohio Dominican. Notes for that match can be found here.