TIGERS TAKE TWO OUT OF FOUR AT TAYLOR TOURNAMENT

UPLAND, Ind. – The Olivet Nazarene University women's volleyball team continued its early season slate of tournaments by winning a pair of matches at the Amber McClure Fayerweather Memorial Tournament hosted by Taylor Friday and Saturday. The Tigers defeated Taylor 3-0 and Concordia (Mich.) 3-1 while falling to Indiana East and Mount Vernon Nazarene in straight sets.

The Tigers were hard-pressed to get anything going in Friday's tournament opener against Indiana East, falling in straights 16-25, 19-25, 19-25.

Halle Nicholas (seven), Sabrina Sanif (five), and Kaitlyn Kolb (four) combined for 16 of ONU's 20 total kills in the loss. Breanna Lamie picked up a team-best 10 digs. Analiese Fredin had 17 assists.

But ONU bounced back with their most thrilling match of the weekend in Friday's finale against the host school Taylor. After taking a 2-0 lead, the Tigers nearly dropped the third set after building a commanding 24-21 lead to sit at match point. The Trojans rattled off four consecutive points to take the advantage, but Nicholas hammered down a kill to level the score.

A Trojan attack error put the Tigers at match point, and Sanif put the finishing touches on the game with a kill to close out the 26-24, 25-18, 27-25 victory. Tatum Wade led all players with 12 kills and Nicholas added 11. Fredin tallied a game-high 34 assists while Lamie anchored the defense with 12 digs.

After a difficult match against one of the country's top teams, resulting in a 25-12, 25-16, 25-15 setback to Mount Vernon Nazarene, the Tigers bounced back to round out the tournament with a victory over Concordia (Mich.).

Nicholas, Sanif, and Kolb returned to all three put down double-digit kills in the 25-18, 25-21, 23-25, 25-13 win. Nicholas tabbed a match-high 15, Sanif recorded a dozen, and Kolb put away 10. Ten Tigers saw action in the win, and seven of them had at least one kill.

Fredin handed out a season-high 41 assists to go along with 20 digs. Lamie led all players 24 digs and Sara Serafimova and Wade both chipped in 11.

The Tigers will open up league play in the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference with a road match at Governors State Thursday evening at 7 p.m.

--ONU—

*Contact: Evan Wild, Sports Information Director, ewwild@olivet.edu