Roadrunners Get Road Win at KVCC

SMC Volleyball almost let one slip away on Tuesday in Kalamazoo, but eventually took down KVCC in a five set conference thriller 25-12, 25-13, 25-27, 21-25, and 15-11. 

"One of our goals this season is, of course, to win all of our matches, but to focus on improving our conference win record on the road," said Head Coach Jenny nate. "Tonight, we came out firing with energy, but then the third set, we let off the gas, lost a bit of our energy, and started playing a little too safe. It was a great reminder to play SMC Volleyball the entire match every point and never let up. We were able to dial it back in and came out aggressive that final set to finish it. We will take this experience to the court with us tomorrow against Macomb and focus on playing aggressively every single point."

The win at KVCC was Nate's 50th at the helm of the Roadrunners. In her first season, the team had a record of 14-20 in SMC's first year back on the court, a winning percentage of 41.2% and good for fourth in the conference and a trip to the District Tournament. in 2023, Nate led the team to 23-13 (63.9%), third in the Western Conference and another trip to the district tournament.

The Roadrunners are now 13-4 overall and 3-1 in Western Conference play.  

Leading serving scorers: Gia Jania 18 points, 2 aces; Talan Hiemstra 13 points, 1 ace; Cadence Knight 12 points, 3 aces; Josie West 8 points, 1 ace; Ryli Burks 5 points, 1 ace

Kills: Josie West 16, Kallie Solloway 13, Abi Marquis 10, Gia Jania 10, Talan Hiemstra 7, Ryli Burks 7

Blocks: Josie West 2, Kallie Solloway 2, Gia Jania 1, Ryli Burks 1, Abi Marquis 1

Digs: Cadence Knight 29, Anna Johnson 19, Josie West 17, Ryli Burks 14, Amanda Jones 14, Gia Jania 6

Assists: Anna Johnson 27, Ryli Burks 20