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Calvin Opens MIAA Campaign with Victory Over Albion
In their home and conference opener, the top-ranked Knights’ rolled by Albion for a three-set victory.
Calvin opened the first set on a roll, scoring 16 straight points before the Britons got on the board. Sophomore Kristi Zietse served 15 of the points, giving the Knights a commanding lead. Calvin wouldn’t stop there, as sophomore Jen Pluymert added another service run. The Knights’ front row was also strong, hitting a collective .609 in the first set.
Coach Amber Warners was impressed with her teams focus the first set.
“I thought we came out and played with a lot of intensity, which is something we always highlight,” she said.
Then, as Warners noted, the Britons got scrappier and forced two tighter sets. Calvin’s hitters were limited to a .138 hitting percentage in the second set, but the Knights still managed a 25-14 victory. For the first time in the match, the Knights played from behind for a significant portion in the third set, even trailing 19-17 at one point. But with Pluymert at the service line, the Knights rattled off eight unanswered points to take the final set 25-19.
All 17 players on the roster saw significant playing time for the Knights, something Coach Warners was very pleased to see. She also mentioned Calvin’s serving as a strong point.
“We’ve really stressed placement on our serves, and we executed that well tonight,” she said.
Rebecca Kamp led the Knights in attacking with a .438 hitting
percentage and eight kills. Megan Rietema delivered 27
assists and Kelly Peterson contributed five digs.
The Knights travel to South Bend, Indiana for a conference clash
with Saint Mary’s on Wednesday.
