CLINTON TWP., Mich. – A crucial victory! The Macomb Volleyball team took down Oakland Community College in four sets on Wednesday (Oct. 8) at Chippewa Valley High School to improve to 11-10 overall and 3-4 in the all-important MCCAA Eastern Conference standings.
With the loss, the visiting Owls shifted to 6-12 overall and into a fourth-place tie with the Monarchs at 3-4 in league play. While both teams have five league matches remaining, Wednesday's match could prove to be important at season's end as the top four teams from the MCCAA East qualify for a spot in one of the two NJCAA Great Lakes District Championships (A or B).
The Monarchs jumped out to a 2-0 lead behind set scores of 25-17 and 25-20 before the Owls snuck out a 26-24 win in the third frame to extend the match. Set four belonged to the Monarchs as the Blue & White led by as many as 12 on their way to a 25-15 victory.
Jordan Pflaum led the offensive attack in the pivotal win with 18 kills and four aces. In addition to a strong offensive night, the reigning MCCAA Eastern Conference Defensive Player of the Week continued her stellar defensive play with 14 digs and four block assists. Kara Beeker and Kaley Eller added 11 kills each for the Monarchs with Eller posting a team-best .267 hitting percentage. Korin Hutton racked up 42 assists on the team's 51 kills and added eight digs.
Alexis Cunha had a team-high 20 digs, while Sophia Kulaga recorded 18 and Brooke Baker registered 16 to highlight the team's balance in the pivotal victory. Caryss Terry also had a strong match on the defensive end with six block assists and a solo block.
The Monarchs are back at Chippewa Valley High School on Monday (Oct. 13) against Henry Ford College. First serve is scheduled for 7 p.m.