GALESBURG, Ill. – In what has already been a season full of memories for the Grinnell College volleyball team, another big moment was added Friday night.
The Pioneers knocked off Knox College in four sets to qualify for the Midwest Conference Tournament for the third time ever and first time since 2011. Grinnell also made the four-team field in 2009.
Grinnell won the thriller by scores of 25-19, 23-25, 25-20 and 28-26 to improve to 5-3 in the league and 13-10 overall. The Pioneers will be the third seed in the tourney and play second-seeded St. Norbert College next Friday in Mount Vernon.
Knox fell to 3-6 in the MWC and 7-20 overall with the loss.
Grinnell featured a balanced hitting attack, with four players collecting double-digit kills.
Olivia Fromm '17 had 13 kills, while
Emily Friedman '19,
Ariel Lepito '17 and
Emma Willhardt '19 tallied 10 each. Willhardt put together a hitting efficiency of .346 and
Evelyn Weidman '17 hit .308.
Margaret Giles '18 dished out 44 assists, while
Sydney Vrecenar '18 had 25 digs.
Christine Hood '17 added 12 digs and
Deanna Taylor '18 had 10.
Giles had three solo blocks and Fromm and Taylor each served up three aces.
Grinnell shot out to a 15-7 lead in the first set, thanks in part to a five-point service run by Friedman that included two kills by Fromm. Knox never got closer than three after that.
The second set was tight the entire way, with the Prairie Fire pulling out the two-point win. The Pioneers had a key 4-1 run in the third set to make a 16-15 lead a 20-16 edge. Fromm and Friedman each had kills as the Pioneers pulled away for the win.
The fourth set was tight the whole way, as was indicated by 16 ties. The Pioneers closed in on the win when Weidman's kill made it 25-24. However, Knox scored a point before Fromm delivered a kill to put the Pioneers up 26-25.
After Knox scored again, Willhardt pounded down a kill and Giles served a point to secure the set and match for Grinnell.
The Pioneers play their final home match of the season Saturday when Monmouth College visits Darby Gymnasium. Senior Day action in the regular-season finale begins at 1 p.m.
