KALAMAZOO, Mich. -- The Trine volleyball team was defeated by Kalamazoo, 3-1 (25-15, 23-25, 25-17, 25-20) in MIAA-action Wednesday night at Anderson Athletic Center.
The Hornets outhit the Thunder by a .203 to .092 margin due in large part to Kalamazoo's 11 team blocks. Shelby Suseland notched 12 kills on a .375 percentage while adding two solo blocks and two block assists to lead the Hornets. Shannon Scott (Vicksburg, Mich. / Vicksburg) had 11 kills to pace Trine's attack. The Thunder fell to 2-18 overall, 2-9 in MIAA matches. Kalamazoo improved to 9-14 overall and 2-9 in conference play.
Freshman Molly Smith (Angola, Ind. / Angola) set a new career-high with eight kills for Trine, which came on an efficient .429 hitting percentage. Madison Cook (Kendallville, Ind. / East Noble) added a career-high 20 digs to pace the defensive effort. Danielle Stanichuk (Troy, Mich. / Athens) notched a career-high 13 digs, setting a new career-high for the second straight match.
Paige Johnson matched Suseland with a game-high 12 kills for the Hornets. Kaela Von Til added a double-double with 11 kills and 14 digs. Dana DeVito notched match-high 23 digs.
The Hornets hit .278 in securing the victory in the first set. Kalamazoo took a five-point lead in set two, before the Thunder came back to even the match. After falling behind 18-13, Trine cut the deficit to one with a four-point run. The Thunder later tied it back up on a kill by Scott and took the lead on an ace by Cook.
After a Johnson kill evened the score, 23-23 a kill by Wilder gave Trine the side out and serve for set point. Scott and Emma Lucas (Hamilton, Ind. / Hamilton) combined for the block on the deciding point to give the Thunder its lone set win of the night. Trine had six blocks in the match.
Kalamazoo went on a 7-2 run to take early control of the third set and take a 2-1 lead in the match. The Thunder started hot in the fourth set in making a bid to extend the match as Trine took an 8-1 lead. The Hornets fought back, eventually taking the lead at 19-18 and going to earn the win.
Trine travels to Rochester, N.Y. for a tournament hosted by Rochester Institute of Technology this weekend. The Thunder open tournament play with a match against Utica Friday, Oct. 14 at 5 p.m. Trine will also face R.I.T., DeSales and Brockport State this weekend.