Belles Sweep Comets

Box Score

• Rachel Bonek led all players with 18 kills while posting a .359 attack percentage.
• Alyssa Chong registered her first double-digit kill day with 10 kills while hitting .474.
• Leah Buck surpassed the 200 career block plateau with five blocks.

NOTRE DAME, Ind. - The Saint Mary's volleyball team claimed a 3-0 (25-21, 25-22, 25-19) win over Olivet at home on Saturday afternoon.

In the first set, the Belles put the figurative pedal to the metal to blow open a 6-5 score. The Belles went on a 9-2 run to go up 15-7. Olivet pulled within 20-17 before the sides traded points back-and-forth as the set moved to 23-20. A kill by the Comets made it 23-21, but Rachel Bonek put down consecutive kills to close out the set 25-21. Both teams posted hitting percentages above .300 with the Belles (.349) edging out the Comets (.324) in a high-octane opening frame.

The second set was even more tightly played than the first as neither team had larger than a two-point lead until Nicole Ehardt served up an ace to put the Belles up 15-12. That small cushion was short-lived, though, as Olivet continued to stay close with timely kills and blocks. With the score standing at 16-15 in favor of Saint Mary's, the Belles had big plays from the two seniors on the floor to regain a foothold on the lead. Bonek put down a kill before Leah Buck added a big kill of her own. Buck then came up with a solo block in the middle to make it 19-15 in favor of the Belles. That solo block also put her at 200 career blocks. Olivet continued to battle and made it a 20-19 score as the Belles opted for a timeout. Buck came out of the break with another big kill, and Saint Mary's held at least a two-point advantage over the remainder of the set for the 25-22 win.

The Belles built a lead early in the third set, but again, the Comets chipped their way back into the set to tie the score at 17-17. After a timeout, Saint Mary's again got a kill from Buck, and Audrey Shannon and Alyssa Chong each added kills to put the Belles up 20-17. Two points later, Marielle Corbett put down a kill. Two consecutive errors by the Comets followed by a double block by Chong and Corbett pushed the Saint Mary's lead to 24-18. Chong then ended the match with a kill two points later for the 25-19 third set victory.

Rachel Bonek led all players with 18 kills while posting a .359 attack percentage. Alyssa Chong registered her first double-digit kill day with 10 kills while hitting .474 (10 kills, one error, 19 attempts). Morgan VanderWey posted 48 assists, and Nicole Lukens had a match-high 18 digs. Audrey Shannon chipped in 16 digs. Leah Buck surpassed the 200 career block plateau with five blocks, and Marielle Corbett put down nine kills.

The Belles (6-7, 3-4 MIAA) return to the court on Wednesday, September 27 when they host Adrian at 7:00 p.m.