Courtney Naser (
So.-Altoona, Wis.) and
LeShay Jones (
Sr.-Pontiac, Mich.) carried the attack with 12 kills each and the Lakeland College women's volleyball team swept Benedictine (Ill.) University in three sets Saturday at the Moose & Dona Woltzen Gymnasium.
The Muskies dominated the first two sets and fought through the third set for a 25-17, 25-14, 26-24 win. Lakeland won its fifth straight match and climbed back to the .500 mark for the first time Sept. 5, improving to 14-14 overall and 8-3 in the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference.
Naser was outstanding for the fifth straight match, hitting .588 with 12 kills and just two errors in 17 attempts. She also added four digs and two block assists and over her last five matches has 48 kills and 10 errors in 97 attack attempts for a .392 hitting percentage, as well as 17 block assists.
Jones also added 12 kills in 32 attempts and four block assists as Lakeland totaled seven team blocks. In all, Naser and Jones combined for 24 of the team's 38 kills for the match.
The Muskies dominated the first two sets, never trailing and leading 7-1 in the first set and 8-1 in the second. The third set was another story, as the Eagles (10-16 overall, 5-6 NACC) served six aces and Lakeland trailed much of the set before rallying late and then closing with five of the final six points.
Emilie Schartner (
Fr.-Sturgeon Bay, Wis.) recorded a pair of kills in the final spurt and the match ended on a block by Jones and
Brittini Scoles (
So.-Kewaskum, Wis.).
Caleigh Galvan (
Sr.-New Lenox, Ill.) was exceptional defensively again, recording 29 digs in three sets.
Allison Errthum (
So.-Joliet, Ill.) added 10 digs and three service aces, while
Taylor Levitt (
Jr.-Schaumburg, Ill.) set the offense with 28 assists.
Keriann Groen led Benedictine with eight kills and five block assists. Kristina Billie notched 14 digs and also added three of the Eagles' nine service aces.
The Muskies close the regular season with a pair of non-conference matches next week, including a trip to face Maranatha Baptist University in Watertown Tuesday at 7 p.m.
