Malone University Athletics

OWENSBORO, Ky. - The Malone University volleyball team dropped a four-set match at Kentucky Wesleyan College on Saturday afternoon to fall to 4-14 overall and 2-7 in Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC). The Panthers are now 4-14 and 1-8 in league play.
 
Set one was a strong start for the Pioneers with a 25-17 triumph to claim a 1-0 lead. Brianne Salinas and Emma Weirich had three kills apiece and Weirich dug out six opposing attacks. Malone hit a game-high .229 in the first period and a pair of blocks from Kassidy Gorsuch and Hailey Conrad helped to finish off a 5-0 run to end the set for Malone.
 
The second set was back-and-forth with seven lead changes and ten times the score was tied, but ultimately it was the home squad in Kentucky Wesleyan getting back to even with a 26-24 win. The Panthers had a 16-7 advantage on kills, but the defense was key for the Pioneers with four blocks and Jaclyn Jundzilo had eight digs from the libero spot.
 
That 16-7 advantage would hold true in the third set as well and the Panthers took the lead with a 25-21 set three victory. Kentucky Wesleyan netted their team-best hitting percentage in the third at .257. Malone struggled in the fourth set and fell 25-16 in the fourth to give the Panthers their first conference win. Kentucky Wesleyan had a 15-5 edge on kills and was dominant offensively with 60 kills compared to 30 for the Pioneers on the afternoon.
 
Jaymes Gilbert was the team's leader with eight kills and Helaina Edgar recorded 17 assists. Conrad was involved in 8-of-14 blocks for the team while Jundzilo (15) and Weirich (10) had double-digit dig totals.
 
Malone heads to Hammond, Indiana for the Midwest Region Crossover event on October 16-17. Opponents for those dates will be announced shortly.