Teel, Lady Lancers Spike League FoeWINONA LAKE – Caylie Teel sparked Grace College’s volleyball team to a 3-1 win over Crossroads League rival Mt. Vernon Nazarene University on Tuesday.
The former Tippecanoe Valley High School standout jumped, soared and smashed her way to a career-high 27 kills. She was a dynamic presence at the net throughout Tuesday’s match, breaking her previous career high of 22 kills from last week.
In the opening set, Grace jumped out to an 8-3 lead which forced a timeout from MVNU. The Cougars (13-19, 2-14 CL) were unable to slow down Grace’s attack, however. The Lady Lancers had 14 kills, led by five from Teel, to win the opener 25-19.
Grace’s offense continued to click in the second set. Grace pulled away in the middle stages en route to a five-point win. Teel picked up six more kills, and Makaela Lochmueller added three kills.
The Cougars started the third set sharply by winning six of the first eight points. Grace struggled to rally and still trailed 18-12 when coach Katie Van Hofwegen called timeout.
The Lady Lancers (18-13, 10-5 CL) clawed back, slicing MVNU’s lead down to two at 20-18. But the Cougars survived and won 25-20.
The match ended in the fourth set. Grace pulled ahead early at 15-9 and never looked back. The Lady Lancers ended the match 25-21, and Grace’s offense was dominant with 18 kills in that set alone.
For the match, Grace hit 61 kills on a .253 percentage.
Teel’s 27 kills came with eight digs and two block assists, and Kelsee Zuidema added 10 kills, eight digs and two block assists.
Grace’s Alexa Hill produced a mind-boggling 58 assists and 19 digs in just four sets, Lochmueller had nine kills and two block assists, and Hanna Leach added eight kills and two block assists.
Gina Novotny led all players with 24 digs, Kelsey Smith had six kills and five block assists, and Makayla Bell had 11 digs for Grace.
The Lady Lancers are on the road twice to end the week, playing at Bethel on Friday and at Indiana Wesleyan on Saturday.
