GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – An upset bid by the University of Chicago volleyball team was in play on Tuesday evening at Van Noord Arena. UChicago took a 2-1 set lead against the top ranked team in the nation, but Calvin College rallied back late to deny the Maroons by a 3-2 margin.

The No. 19-ranked Maroons moved to 12-2 on the season. The Knights kept their perfect record intact at 11-0.

Calvin 3, UChicago 2 (25-15, 18-25, 18-25, 25-22, 15-8)

UChicago's offense struggled to find its footing in the first set. The visitors made as many hitting errors as kills for a .000 hitting percentage. Meanwhile, Calvin hit .333 and led wire-to-wire to grab the opener 25-15.

The Maroons flipped the script in the second set, hitting .300 and finding their groove. They made their move at 15-14, finishing the set on a 10-4 run to even up the proceedings at 25-18. The third set played out almost exactly like the previous game, as a 16-14 advantage once again ballooned into an eventual 25-18 set win for UChicago.

Calvin was able to right the ship in the clutch. Trailing 21-19 in the fourth, the Knights executed effectively to go up 23-22. Two blocks sealed the set 25-22 for the hosts and the match went on to a deciding fifth set.

Momentum was on Calvin's side – the squad took leads of 7-3 and 9-6. A subsequent string of four-straight points allowed the Knights to finish off the match at 15-8.

Superior height proved critical for the home side. The Knights racked up 14 total blocks versus six by the Maroons. UChicago finished with a .179 hitting percentage compared to .219 for Calvin.

Senior outside hitter Audrey Scrafford spiked 15 kills and junior outside hitter Anabella Pinton scored 13 kills. Senior rightside hitter Sarah Muisenga tallied a double-double with 10 kills and 14 digs. Sophomore setter Emma Griffith finished with 39 assists and 13 digs. Sophomore libero Katherine Wilson led the defense with 17 digs while adding five assists.

NEXT MATCHES:

• Friday, Sept. 21 @ 2:30 PM / 5:00 PM – UChicago vs. Trinity University (Texas) / UChicago vs. Texas Lutheran University (at Bloomington, Ill.)