Britons bring energy to turn back Alma

Britons bring energy to turn back Alma

ALMA, Mich. – Kelsey Gustafson, Chloe Webber and Kate Winter reached double figures in kills, Jenna Khoury collected a career-high 30 digs, and Grace VanDorn achieved her 15th double-double of the season in assists and digs as Albion College advanced in the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association Volleyball Tournament with a 20-25, 25-19, 25-23, 25-17 victory over Alma College.

"I'm so proud of our team for its grit and energy against a strong Alma team," Albion Head Volleyball Coach Kristin de St. Aubin said.

The victory sends Albion (16-10 overall) to a Friday night semifinal at Calvin University.

  • Gustafson hit at least .300 for the seventh time this season. Her 14 kills fell one shy of the season-high she achieved in an Aug. 31 non-league match at Adrian College. Her 19 digs were two shy of matching her career high.
  • Webber hit .267, her best performance since hitting .393 in the Oct. 4 match against North Central College. She chipped in with five blocks to move into fourth-place on Albion's single-season list with 88.
  • Khoury moved up to 478 digs for the season, her first as Albion's full-time libero.
  • First-year middle blocker Alexa Hitchko matched her career-high with eight blocks and first-year outside hitter Jesse Hepner assisted on six blocks

Albion scored seven in a row to build a 19-13 lead in the second set.

Gustafson and Winter terminated consecutive points as Albion surged to a 23-21 lead in the third set.

Albion hit .414 with 15 kills and three errors in the fourth set. It led by as many as 11 before settling for the eight-point margin.

For the latest information on the team, follow @AlbionVball on Twitter and Instagram and Albion College Volleyball on Facebook. General athletic news can also be found @gobrits on Twitter, AlbionAthletics on Instagram and on Facebook (facebook.com/AlbionAthletics).

Joe and Julie Serra have given a $5 million leadership gift to launch a fundraising initiative to make two dreams a reality at Albion College. The first is a newly expanded fitness and student activity facility at the site of the current Dow Recreation and Wellness Center. The second is a new or renovated competition facility for the volleyball, men's basketball and women's basketball teams that currently call Kresge Gymnasium home.

The College is continuing to raise funds in support of both projects. To learn more, call 517/629-0446 or email advancement@albion.edu