ALBION, Mich. – Albion College knocked down 17 blocks as it scored a 25-23, 25-16, 23-25, 25-20 victory over Saint Mary's College on the opening night of Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association volleyball action.

Alexa Hitchko, a first-year middle blocker, was credited with eight blocks, and sophomore Chloe Webber assisted on seven. Jesse Hepner, another first-year player, chipping in by assisting on six blocks.

"It was our best blocking performance, by far," Albion Head Coach Kristin de St. Aubin said. "Saint Mary's is a great ball control team. They do a great job of finding any weakness in the defense. We made it tough on their outside hitters and the block funneled the ball to our defense."

Kate Winter led Albion's offense with 14 kills. She received support from Kelsey Gustafson and Webber who added 10 kills apiece. Gustafson moved into sixth place on Albion's all-time kills list, raising her career total to 775.

Gustafson added 11 digs to complete her fifth double-double of the season.

Setters Grace VanDorn (26 assists, 12 digs) and Ava Smith (14 assists, 10 digs) also finished the night with double-doubles. Smith was also smart on the attack with four kills.

Hepner and Webber combined on a block and Kameron Haley served an ace as Albion built a 9-4 lead in the fourth set.

Lindsey Pelletier terminated three points as Saint Mary's scored five in a row to claim a 13-11 lead.

Albion rallied to tie the score at 13. The score was also tied at 14 and 15.

The Belles had errors on consecutive points as Albion took a 17-15 lead it would maintain the rest of the way. Smith and Gustafson terminated consecutive points, Winter added a kill and a Saint Mary's ball handling error pushed Albion to match point. Gustafson terminated the final point of the night.

Albion, winners of three in a row to improve to 10-5 overall, hits the road for a Saturday match at Adrian College.

For the latest information on the team, follow @AlbionVball on Twitter and Instagram and Albion College Volleyball on Facebook. General athletic news can also be found @gobrits on Twitter, AlbionAthletics on Instagram and on Facebook (facebook.com/AlbionAthletics).

Joe and Julie Serra have given a $5 million leadership gift to launch a fundraising initiative to make two dreams a reality. The first is a newly expanded fitness and student activity facility at the site of the current Dow Recreation and Wellness Center. The second is a new or renovated facility for the volleyball, men's basketball and women's basketball teams that currently call Kresge Gymnasium home.

The College is continuing to raise funds in support of both projects. To learn more, call 517/629-0446 or email advancement@albion.edu.