WARREN, Mich. – Feed the hot hand! And that's exactly what the Monarchs did Wednesday (Sept. 11) as
Jordan Pflaum (Shelby Twp., Mich./Lutheran High North) slammed home a career-high 18 kills on a .366 hitting percentage to lead Macomb Volleyball to a four-set comeback win over the Madonna University Reserves.
After dropping the opening set by a narrow 25-23 margin, the Monarchs evened the match in the second set with a 25-23 victory of their own. Set three in the back-and-forth affair went in favor of the Monarchs, 25-22. The three point win in the third frame marked the largest margin of victory in a set for either team Wednesday evening.
In the fourth set, the Monarchs continued to feed Pflaum at the net and the freshman delivered with timely kills, including the game-winner off a great set by
Paige Elliott (Livonia, Mich./Detroit Country Day). Pflaum's 18
th and final kill resulted in a 28-26 set victory and capped off a thrilling comeback as the Blue & White battled back from a 21-16 deficit to earn the win and end the match in four sets.
Plfaum's career-best 18 kills and .366 hitting percentage paced the Monarchs, while Elliott quarterbacked the attack with 36 assists. Defensively, the Monarchs were led by reigning MCCAA Eastern Conference Defensive Player of the Week,
Alexis Cunha (Richmond, Mich./Anchor Bay), who recorded a team-high 20 digs. Twin sister
Ashlyn Cunha (Richmond, Mich./Anchor Bay) followed with 13 digs and added a pair of aces, while
Kara Beeker (Warren, Mich./Warren Woods Tower) was the third and final Monarch in double-digit digs with 10.
Beeker also tallied six kills, finishing two behind
Hadley Schaefer (Harrison Twp., Mich./Parkway Christian) who had eight and one ahead of
Kaley Eller's (Utica, Mich./Utica) five kills on a .273 hitting percentage.
As if 18 kills weren't enough, Pflaum added a career-high four aces and chipped in defensively with three digs in the winning effort.
The Monarchs begin MCCAA Eastern Conference play at home Monday (Sept. 16) when they welcome the Bears of Mott Community College to Warren for a 7 p.m. first serve. Can't make it to the match? Join Tom Cavanaugh and Alex Johnson on the call on
MacombMonarchs.com/Watch beginning around 6:55 p.m.