WASHINGTON, D.C. – In a back-and-forth affair that saw a pair teams slug it out in the nation's capital, Olivet College came back from a 2-1 deficit to upend the Gators, 3-2, in Allegheny's Worthington Classic tournament opener.

After falling behind, 25-16, in the first set, the Gators (11-5 Overall) rattled off 25-22 and 25-23 wins in the second and third set, respectively, to take a 2-1 lead. However, Olivet scored a 25-19 decision in the fourth set before winning the decisive fifth, 15-8, to open the tournament with a 1-0 record.

Sophomore Bailey Gawley led the Gators with a season-high 17 kills, while junior Taylor Samuel racked up 14 kills for the Gators.  Freshman Justine Kelly picked up 46 assists to lead the squad, while senior Catherine Kasianowicz recorded 19 digs as one of four Gators to finish with double-digit defensive figures. 

Freshmen Terra Schall, Christa Cash and Kylee Karczewski recorded 15, 12 and 12 digs, respectively, while Schall additionally led the team with two service aces.  Junior Sarah Swartz ended the contest with seven total blocks, as the Gators recorded 10 total blocks as a team.

The two teams traded leads in the first set, holding at a 9-9 stalemate before a 5-2 run put the Comets up, 15-11.  Olivet was able to keep any Allegheny rally at bay, not allowing the Gators to score more than three unanswered points while building a 20-16 lead.  Olivet then closed out the first set with five unanswered points for the early lead.

Tied, 6-6, in the second set, the Gators used a 6-2 run to earn a four-point advantage midway through the set.  Battling back and fourth, it took a four-point run, including three serves from Kasianowicz, to tie the match, capped by a set-ending service ace by the captain.

Allegheny trailed Olivet, 13-8, in the third, but a four-point run sparked on serve by Schall followed by a three-point run through Kasianowicz gave the Gators a 15-14 advantage.  A three-point run on service by Karczewski gave Allegheny a four-point cushion. The Gators were able to fend off a late push from Olivet to take a 2-1 advantage with a 25-23, third set win.

The Comets erupted for a 6-2 lead in the fourth, leading by as many as six in an eventual 25-19, fourth set win to force the tiebreaker.  Olivet clinched the win with a 15-8 win in the fifth, hitting a .417 clip in the final set.

Allegheny will close the first day at the Worthington Classic, hosted by Gallaudet University, with a bout against Freedom Conference member DeSales.