RIVER FOREST, Ill. – Shelby Welsh (Jr.-Ogallala, Neb.) and Brittini Scoles (Sr.-Kewaskum, Wis.) led the attack, Emilie Schartner (Jr.-Sturgeon Bay, Wis.) keyed a big blocking effort and the Lakeland University women's volleyball team defeated Concordia University Chicago in three sets Saturday afternoon.

The Muskies got through a tough first set and cruised from there for a 25-22, 25-19, 25-17 win, earning a split of their two-day trip to River Forest. Lakeland improved to 8-15 overall and is now 3-3 in the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference after an important victory against one of its peers in the conference standings.

Welsh and Scoles both finished with 11 kills, and the two combined for just three errors with Welsh hitting .417 for the match in 24 attacks and Scoles at a .360 clip in 25 swings. They helped the Muskies hit a solid .257 for the match, with their 40 kills and 13 errors in 105 attack attempts producing the third-best hitting percentage of the season.

Schartner also contributed heavily to that with seven kills and no errors in 13 attempts, and the middle hitter was really a force at the net. She finished with eight blocks (one solo, seven assisted), and led Lakeland to a team total of 11 blocks to tie a season high.

The Muskies were tested most in a close first set that included 13 ties and eight lead changes. Concordia (15-8 overall, 3-3 NACC) led 22-21 late in the set, but Schartner recorded a kill and then a solo block, and Shannon Bishop (So.-River Grove, Ill.) finished it off with a kill that put Lakeland ahead a set.

The Muskies rolled from there, never trailing again in the match. The Cougars only could tie it twice early in the second set and were behind the entire third set as Lakeland won on Saturday for the second straight weekend after losing an NACC match on Friday night.

Bishop also added six kills and three block assists, while Allison Errthum (Sr.-Joliet, Ill.) led the back row defense with 14 digs. Neenah Primas (Fr.-Oostburg, Wis.) and Taylor Bubolz (Fr.-Howards Grove, Wis.) split the setting credits evenly with 15 assists each.

Jennifer Livesay and Shannon Stamp led the attack for Concordia, which finished hitting .114 for the day with 35 kills and 23 errors. Elise Sombke also added 13 digs.

The Muskies return to action next Friday when they host Wisconsin Lutheran College at 7 p.m. at the Moose & Dona Woltzen Gymnasium.