The Malone University volleyball team's quest for a comeback victory fell short Friday night in its first-ever Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) match. The Pioneers rallied from two sets down to force a fifth set with Kentucky Wesleyan College, but the visitors held on for the 25-22, 25-23, 14-25, 22-25, 15-6 victory.
 
In a competitive match from the onset, Malone held late leads in each of the first two sets, including a 17-10 advantage in the second set, but failed to capitalize in both instances. Malone came out flat in the third set, falling behind 6-1, but a Tanya Hockman timeout, a Lauren Hamko kill, and a 10-point Sydney Black service run turned the tides considerably as Malone finished with a 21-6 run to claim the third set. The Pioneers used that momentum to capture the fourth set but Kentucky Wesleyan took advantage of an 8-0 start to the fifth set to earn the conference victory.
 
Sophomore outside hitter Mallory Adams delivered a stellar performance in defeat, setting a career-high with 21.5 points on 16 kills, three service aces, and four blocks (one solo, three assists). Faith Lau added 10 kills while Cathryn Miller contributed 37 assists.
 
Lynsey Trusty led Malone in the backrow with 20 digs while Sydney Black chipped in with nine.
 
The Pioneers will return to their home court on Saturday for a 2:00 pm G-MAC match with Trevecca Nazarene.