CANTON, Ohio - The Malone University volleyball team fell to 6-17 on Tuesday evening with a 3-1 loss to Lake Erie College, who is now 10-16. The Pioneers fall to 5-7 overall in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) and are on the outside looking in on the postseason. The Storm are a longshot to make the G-MAC Tournament at 3-10 in league play.
 
The loss sets up a match with Northwood University on Friday, November 7 that may ultimately decide the final postseason team. The Timberwolves are just a half-match up on Malone at 5-6. That contest is in Midland, Michigan and begins at 7:00 P.M.
 
The Pioneers found success in set one with a 25-21 win that featured 18 kills from the offense, including eight credited to Jaymes Gilbert. A block from Hailey Conrad and Helaina Edgar put Malone up 8-2 and the lead would not be relinquished from there. Edgar found Laiken Wallick for the set's final point.
 
Lake Erie rebounded in the second set for a 27-25 win to even the match at one apiece. Annika Nichols capped off a 6-0 run for the Pioneers to begin the period and led at one point 18-13, however the Storm tallied five in a row to tie it up at 18-18. Malone was one point away from taking the second set, but momentum swung Lake Erie's way in the closing stages for five of the final six points.
 
A back-and-forth third set was also taken by the visitors, 25-20. The Storm were 70% (14-of-20) on sideouts and 12 digs by the defense helped put Lake Erie in front 2-1. Head Coach Rafael Gonzalez made several lineup changes in the third by utilizing Marissa Smith, Mikayla Yockey and Tori Dawson, but it was not enough to shift the match back their way.
 
The air had been let out of the balloon in set four with the Storm up 4-0 to begin the set and controlled the entire period. Lake Erie scored the final five points in a 25-14 win. The Pioneers hit negative in the fourth as the match came to a close.
 
Gilbert and Brianne Salinas finished tied for the team lead with 14 kills apiece. Wallick was in double figures as well with 12. Edgar had a team-high 38 assists from the setter position. Six different Malone student-athletes were credited with an ace. The Pioneer defense saw Conrad apart of nine of the team's ten blocks (two solo). She was also one of three with ten or more digs. Gilbert recorded 15 in total and Edgar, 12.