OLIVET, Mich. — Manchester defeated Olivet 3-2 on Wednesday with set scores of 21-25, 25-14, 25-18, 21-25 and 15-8. Manchester answered a first-set loss by taking the next two sets, then closed the match in the fifth after Olivet forced a deciding set. Manchester hit .194 for the match and held Olivet to .085, including a .417 mark in the fifth set.
Manchester erased an early 7-5 deficit and moved in front in the first set, with
Morgan Howard serving an ace to tie it at 7-7 before kills by
Kyana Martinez and
Izzy Renz helped the visitors gain the advantage. Manchester stretched the margin to 13-9 on a Martinez kill and an Olivet attack error, but Olivet answered with seven straight points to move ahead 16-13.
Lily Lichtenbarger twice broke through with kills, and
Delaeni Hixson and
Alicia Simmons combined on a block as Manchester tried to stay within range after the deficit reached 20-15.
Aubrey Hreha added two late kills and Lichtenbarger delivered another with Olivet at set point, but Olivet closed the opening set 25-21.
With
Tiffany Watterson at the service line, Manchester turned a 3-2 deficit into a 12-3 lead in the second set as Martinez, Hreha and Lichtenbarger added kills and Manchester also got blocks from Hixson, Martinez and Lichtenbarger during the surge. Earlier in that stretch, Manchester tied the set on an Olivet attack error and moved ahead 4-3 on another before continuing to build the margin. After Olivet stopped the run, Lichtenbarger answered with a kill for a 13-4 lead, and
Keira Meierant followed with a service turn that included consecutive Hreha kills and Hreha block as Manchester pushed the score to 19-4. Simmons added a late kill, and Martinez finished another Manchester point with a kill as Manchester closed out the set, 25-14.
After falling behind 8-3, Manchester turned the third set by winning the next eight points to move ahead 11-8.
Kiera Aguirre served the last seven points of that swing, with Howard and Lichtenbarger combining on a block, Howard and Simmons adding kills and Olivet committing several attack errors. Manchester kept the lead with an
Alena Naddaf service ace, Simmons kills and points from Martinez, Hixson and Hreha, but Olivet closed the margin to 19-18 late in the set. After an Olivet service error, Naddaf served Manchester through the finish, including a Howard kill, Naddaf ace and Simmons' final kill in a six-point closing run for a 25-18 set win.
In the fourth set, Manchester worked back from an early 3-0 deficit, getting kills from Martinez, Lichtenbarger and Hreha before Hreha tied it at 6-6. The Spartans moved in front 9-8 on a block by Simmons and Lichtenbarger, then built a 12-9 lead with Simmons supplying kills and Howard serving during part of the stretch. Olivet answered to go ahead 13-12 and later 16-13, but Manchester stayed within reach as Hixson and Lichtenbarger put away kills and Howard teamed with Lichtenbarger on a block to make it 18-17. Simmons added a late kill and Howard followed with a service ace to bring Manchester within 21-20, but Olivet scored the final three points after the Spartans had closed to 22-21 and took the set 25-21.
After a 4-4 tie in the fifth set, Manchester took control by winning seven of the next eight rallies to build an 11-5 advantage. Hixson started that stretch with a kill, Lichtenbarger added a kill, Watterson served an ace, and Martinez and Lichtenbarger combined on a block during the run. After Olivet briefly stopped the surge, Lichtenbarger answered with another kill before Hreha pushed Manchester to 12-5. Lichtenbarger added kills for Manchester's 13th point and final point of the set, and the visitors finished the fifth with a 15-8 win.
Lichtenbarger led Manchester with 16 kills and 18.5 points while hitting .652 and adding five total blocks. Howard finished with 42 assists, eight digs and two service aces. Watterson recorded 23 digs and added two service aces. Simmons added 12 kills, seven digs and two block assists.
Manchester moves to 2-0 overall.
Up next, Manchester hosts Kalamazoo College on Wednesday, Sept. 9, at 6:30 p.m. at Stauffer-Wolfe Arena.
