The Malone University volleyball team overcame a 23-10 deficit with a remarkable 17-2 run against Ashland University in the second set on Tuesday night in its home opener, but ultimately fell in four sets 24-26, 27-25, 19-25, 11-25. With the loss, Malone dropped to 3-7 on the season while the visiting Eagles improved to 7-2 with the non-conference win.
 
Recap
In front of an excitable home crowd, the Pioneers started off slow, going down 16-8 before beginning the comeback process. Malone slowly whittled away the eight-point deficit and finally evened the set at 24-24, but a service error and an attack error gave Ashland the 1-0 edge.
 
Ashland started the second set on a 9-1 run and eventually saw its lead swell to 13 points at 21-8. The Eagles still led 23-10 before an incredulous effort by Malone. The Pioneers won three-straight points to make it 23-13 before an Eagle kill gave the visitors 11 chances at set-point. Malone staved off all 11 chances with six loud kills and a handful of louder Ashland errors. The Pioneers would take a 25-24 on the back end of the 12-0 rally, before fending off an Ashland kill with back-to-back blocks to win the set 27-25.
 
Malone raced out to a 12-7 lead in the third set but saw its advantage slip away during a 11-2 rally. The Pioneers  then faced a narrow 11-9 deficit in the final set, but an 11-1 stretch proved to be their undoing.
 
Hannah Eliason totaled 14 kills to lead the Malone attack, which was guilty of a season-high 32 errors. Rachel Santos contributed 11 kills while Faith Lau added 10. Lau was also at the service line during Malone's 12-0 run in the second stanza. Junior setters Elizabeth Selleny and Abbie Swaino each distributed 21 assists.
 
Senior libero Sydney Black collected a career-high 25 digs to lead the defensive unit, nine of those digs came in the second set. Lau added 14 digs on her way to her second straight double-double. Eliason recorded a team-high three blocks up front.
 
Ashland outside hitter Erin Krupar, the GLIAC South Player of the Week, registered a match-high 19 kills and 12 digs.
 
Up Next
Malone will play three matches at the Gannon-Edinboro Tournament this upcoming weekend.