FORT WAYNE, Ind. — The Bethel Pilots (5-3) battled through 10 total sets on Saturday with a five-set win over the Defiance College Yellow Jackets (4-3) and a five-set loss to the NAIA 16th-ranked IU-Kokomo Cougars (6-2).
VS DEFIANCE
The Pilots tied the single-game team kills record of 72 kills in a match after a tough five-set win over the Yellow Jackets that hasn’t been done since Oct. 9, 2012, against Mount Vernon Nazarene (Ohio).
Ainsley Tacke had a career-high 18 kills followed by Taylor Delp’s 15 kills and Maddy Payne’s 14 in a great offensive effort. Haley Biedenbach collected 34 assists in the match and Reanna Brown’s career-high 28 assists. Paige Hickey also hit a season-high 18 digs.
The Pilots as a whole hit for .317 which is the highest team hitting percentage of the season with the IUSB win at .272 being the next highest back on Aug. 21, 2024.
VS IU KOKOMO
Paige Franz hit an incredible career-high of 27 digs and Maddy Payne had seven blocks for the Pilot defense.
After winning the first set 25-19, IU-Kokomo responded with a dominant 25-14 set two win where both sides traded blows until the fifth where IU-Kokomo forced a fifth set.
The fifth set was neck and neck as the two were tied 9-9, but IU Kokomo stormed to a 6-0 run to end the match and leave the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum with a five-set victory.
NEXT TIME OUT
Bethel plays in the Siena Heights Invite in the Siena Heights Fieldhouse on Friday, Aug. 30 against the Trinity Christian Trolls at 4 p.m. and the IU-Northwest Red Hawks at 6 p.m. The Invite continues on Saturday, Aug. 31 with the Pilots facing the Calumet College St. Joseph Crimson Wave at 10 a.m. and the Lawrence Tech Blue Devils at noon.
For more information about Bethel Pilots Athletics check out bupilots.com or on Instagram, Facebook, X, and YouTube by searching @bupilots or the hashtag #AnchorUp for updates on all 31 Bethel Pilots sports.