GRINNELL, Iowa – Grinnell College's volleyball team has proven plenty during its 9-0 start to the season.
On Thursday night, the Pioneers proved something else – that they can rally from sizable deficits.
Grinnell made big comebacks in both the first and fourth sets to secure a 3-1 win over Simpson College at Darby Gymnasium. Set scores, in favor of the Pioneers, were 25-23, 21-25, 25-15 and 25-23. While Grinnell remained unbeaten, Simpson dipped to 4-4 on the season.
The Pioneers trailed the first set 17-10 before coming back to win, and fought off a 19-15 deficit in the fourth set.
Kaylin Kuhn '21 again had a big night at the net for Grinnell, hitting .348 with 19 kills as well as 10 digs.
Anna Killin '22 was equally effective, tallying career highs of 11 kills and .400 hitting efficiency.
Julianna Roth '22 had 43 assists and three aces, while
Payton Lowrey '22 also served three aces and had 19 digs.
Madison Smith '20 tallied 17 digs and
Emmy Nyquist '23 added two aces.
Grinnell led the first set 10-6 before the Storm stormed their way back by scoring 11 consecutive points for a 17-10 edge. It was later a 19-13 Simpson lead before Kuhn had a kill and Lowrey an ace to make it a four-point margin.
Later, trailing 21-16, Grinnell cut the gap to one with a four-point run as Kuhn had a kill and ace. Simpson then led 22-20 and 23-22, but
Hannah Taylor '21 and Kuhn each pounded down kills and Simpson added an attack error to give Grinnell the win.
After losing the second set, Grinnell got back on track by opening the third with five consecutive points on
Rachel Woock's '23 serve. Kuhn had two kills in that span and
Olivia Jensen '22 another as the Pioneers sailed to victory.
The fourth set was close before the Storm inched ahead 19-15 and 20-16. Jensen and Kuhn put down consecutive kills to make it a two-point gap. Grinnell later came within a point on Kuhn's kill, but Simpson got a kill of its own to go up 22-20.
A kill from Killin and two Storm attack errors pushed Grinnell up by a point. After Simpson scored to tie it, Kill had a kill and Simpson a bad set to give the Pioneers the win.
Grinnell takes its unblemished record to the Wartburg Tournament this weekend, beginning with a 4 p.m. contest Friday against the College of St. Scholastica.
