PELLA—After winning eight matches in a row the Central College volleyball team fell in four sets at home against Grinnell College Tuesday night.
           
The Dutch (10-2) had not lost since September 2 but the Pioneers (6-6) got the best of the night with a 25-23, 23-25, 25-20, 25-16 victory.
           
"Grinnell is always a match that challenges us," coach Jeanne Czipri said. "And as much as no one wants to lose, I'm grateful that we had some things exposed tonight that we need to dissect and find new solutions to."
           
Right-side hitter Gracie Daniels (senior, Broken Arrow, Okla.) paced Central with 14 kills. Also in double figures were outside hitter Leslie Snow (sophomore, Olivia, Minn., BOLD HS) with 12 and middle hitter Elyse Johnson (senior, Kirskville, Mo.) with 11. Snow had a double-double with 22 digs and Johnson had a team-high five blocks.
           
Setter Avery Rexroat (sophomore, Macomb, Ill.) had 42 assists and libero Colleen Kenney (sophomore, Taylor Ridge, Ill., Rock Island Alleman HS) had 24 digs.
           
The Dutch are playing in a triangular Saturday in Winona, Minnesota. Central's first match is at 4 p.m. against Concordia College-Moorhead (Minn.) followed by the host school St. Mary's University (Minn.) at 6 p.m.
           
"We need more players to step up as competitors and winners when the game gets tight or away from us," Czipri said.