CANTON, Ohio -- The Malone University volleyball team opened up the Malone Weekend festivities at home on Friday night by hosting the Cedarville University Yellow Jackets for a Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) match.
The Yellow Jackets (3-7, 2-4 G-MAC) took the opening two sets, and then held off a furious comeback by the Pioneers (6-9, 2-4 G-MAC) in the third set to win the match 3-0, with set scores of 25-21, 25-17, 28-26.
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Cedarville rattled off the first six points of the match unanswered before Malone settled in.
The Pioneers got the set to within one point two different times. Once at 13-12 on an
Anna Mallette kill, and again at 16-15 on a kill from
Anna Hopple.
Unfortunately Malone could never fully recover from the early deficit, and the Yellow Jackets took the opening set 25-21.
Cedarville picked up right where they left off in set two. The Yellow Jackets used a .405 attacking percentage, and 18 total kills to move ahead 2-0 in the match with a 25-17 set two win.
CU jumped out to a quick 7-2 advantage in the third set, and looked well on their way to wrapping up the match.
The Pioneers rallied back however.
Down 21-16, Malone scored six straight points which ignited the Osborne Hall crowd and put the Pioneers up 22-21.
The run was highlighted by kills from
Grace Rosko, Mallette, and
CC Gurney, as well as an emphatic block from Hopple and Gurney.
The Yellow Jackets were forced to call a timeout in attempt to slow down the momentum for Malone.
Cedarville answered back with three points of their own, and eventually needed extra points to close out the match with a 28-26 win in set three.
PIONEER POINTS
- Anna Mallette led Malone with 11 kills, pushing her career total out to 504. This is the eighth time this season she has put down at least double-digit kills.
- Anna Hopple totaled a season-high nine kills. She only made one attack error, and finished the match with a .381 attack percentage.
- Macy McCauley led the defense with 18 digs, while Hopple and CC Gurney each had three block assists.
WHAT'S NEXT?
Malone has a quick turnaround. The Pioneers will welcome the Ohio Dominican University Panthers into Osborne Hall for another G-MAC matchup tomorrow. First serve is slated for 1:00 p.m.
To keep up to date with everything surrounding the Malone University athletic programs this year follow the Pioneers on Twitter and Instagram, like Malone University Athletics on Facebook or visit malonepioneers.com.
