PEPPER PIKE, Ohio -- On Saturday afternoon the Malone University volleyball team played the final match of the 2020-21 season, a Great Midwest Athletic Conference matchup on the road at Urusline College.

The Arrows (4-7, 4-7 G-MAC) were able to secure the final bid into the 2021 Great Midwest Volleyball Championship Tournament with a four set, 25-21, 25-18, 22-25, 25-18 win over the Pioneers (2-9, 2-9 G-MAC)

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Ursuline jumped out to an early 6-2 lead in the first set, and actually led 15-10 at one point. Later Malone rallied back, getting three consecutive kills from Brooklyn Sullivan, Anna Mallette, and Taylor Small to cut the Arrows' lead down to 21-20. However Ursuline closed the set scoring four out of the last five points to snag a 25-21 win. 

The Pioneers actually built up a lead early in set two. Kills from Mallette and Cierra Gurney, plus a service ace and error on the Arrows gave Malone a 9-5 advantage. The Pioneers led 13-9 before Ursuline responded back to tie the set at 14-14. The Arrows then moved ahead by as many as 20-17. They finished the set by scoring the final five points unanswered to win 25-18 and take a 2-0 lead in the match. 

In set three Malone made strides both offensively and defensively. The Pioneers hit .353 as a team and limited the Arrows to just a .121 mark. A kill from Small and an Ursuline attack error gave the Pioneers a comfortable 23-18 advantage, but they were forced to hold off a strong comeback from the Arrows. Ursuline rallied to make it 23-22 before Mallette put down back-to-back kills to give Malone the 25-22 win. 

The script was flipped in set four. This time it was Ursuline's defense that made things difficult for Malone's offense. The Arrows took an early 10-5 advantage. and stretched that lead out to as large as 21-13. The Pioneers fought back getting a kill from Ri-Gyn Humes to make it 22-16, but in the end the Ursuline lead was too much to overcome. The Arrows finished off the 3-1 match win with a 25-18 fourth set victory.

PIONEER POINTS

• Anna Mallette finished with 19 kills to lead Malone. She ends the year with 132 total kills, the fourth most in the conference. Her 3.67 kills per set is second best in the G-MAC

• Taylor Small posted a Malone Pioneer career-best 12 kills. As a team Malone topped 50 total kills for the third time this season. The team's .235 hitting percentage was their second-best mark. The Pioneers hit .289 as a squad in the season-opening win at Ohio Valley.

• Abbie Swaino (20) and Audra Kocher (19) nearly split the assist numbers right down the middle. For Swaino she ends the season with a team-high 178 on the year.