Pilots Struggle to Find Rhythm at Taylor
Upland, Ind. – The Pilots volleyball team could not solve Taylor in a three-set defeat on Wednesday evening, 25-13, 26-24, 25-11. The Pilots fall to 8-9 and 1-3 in the Crossroads League on the season.
The Trojans, who improve to 9-4, 3-2, made quick work of the Pilots, scoring the first four points of the first set and extended the lead to 11-4 early. Haley Brown (SR/Goshen, Ind.) temporarily stopped the bleeding with a kill to make it 11-5 but the Trojans poured it on in a 25-13 win. The Pilots struggled to a hitting percentage of .129, while committing six errors in the set.
The Pilots picked it up in the second set, taking an 11-5 lead, forcing the Trojans into five attack errors early. A Kassandra Williams (JR/Lafayette, Ind.) kill helped the Pilots hold a 17-13 lead, and after falling behind briefly, Malerie Mech (SO/Valparaiso, Ind.) knotted the score at 23. Brown and Williams teamed up for a block to give the Pilots a set point at 24-23, but the Trojans attack was too much with three straight points and the come-from-behind 26-24 victory.
The Pilots opened the third set with consecutive points, but the hosts rattled off eight straight to take an 8-2 lead. Makennize Williams (FR/Elkhart, Ind.) stemmed the tide with a kill but the Pilots were never able to muster a threat in the third set, falling 25-11.
Haley Brown led the Pilots with seven kills. Payton Anderson (JR/New Castle, Ind.) added 14 assists while Erin Carlos (SR/Millersburg, Ind.) and Bridget Downs (SO/Lexington, Ky.) tallied 15 and 11 digs, respectively.
The Pilots continue a tough stretch on the road, facing No. 20 Indiana Wesleyan in Marion on Friday night and traveling to Indianapolis to take on (RV) Marian on Saturday afternoon.