AURORA, Ill. – Karli Chambers led three hitters in double figures for kills and Aurora University demonstrated its firepower in sweeping the Lakeland University women's volleyball team in three sets Saturday afternoon in an important Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference match.

The Spartans pulled out a close first set and then went on to a 26-24, 25-19, 25-14 victory to remain undefeated in the NACC. The Muskies came up short in their attempt to knock off one of the conference leaders and fell to 3-2 in the NACC and 12-7 overall.

Chambers finished with 14 kills, and also was supported by Imani Freeman with 11 kills and Katie Vondra with 10 more. The Spartans as a team finished with 50 kills and a .275 hitting percentage, numbers Lakeland was unable to match.

The Muskies received eight kills each from Shelby Welsh (Sr.-Ogallala, Neb.) and Eliana Arbetman (Sr.-Oak Park, Ill.), with Welsh reaching the 1,000-kill mark for her collegiate career including her two years at Eastern Wyoming Community College. Shannon Bishop (Jr.-River Grove, Ill.) also added seven kills, and as a team Lakeland hit at a .170 rate with 32 kills.

The Muskies' best chance against the Spartans (9-5 overall, 4-0 NACC) came in the first set, when the teams were close the entire way and neither led by more than two points at any stage.

Lakeland came back from down 22-20 in the opener to earn a set point at 24-23 following a block by Bishop and Emilie Schartner (Sr.-Sturgeon Bay, Wis.), but Aurora strung together three straight kills with Chambers twice putting it away and Freeman adding the deciding kill to close the set. That was the spark the Spartans needed to control the rest of the match, as Lakeland never led in the final two sets.

Neenah Primas (So.-Oostburg, Wis.) finished with 25 assists and Welsh posted a team-high 14 digs. Megan Goeser (So.-Plymouth, Wis.) also added four blocks (one solo, three assisted) as the Muskies posted a 7-4 edge in team blocks, but Aurora countered that with six service aces to Lakeland's one.

Lakeland finished with a 1-1 record on its two-day NACC swing to the Chicago area, as the Muskies also topped Benedictine University in three sets Friday night in Lisle, Ill. The Muskies rolled to a 25-2, 25-17, 25-20 win that extended the team's winning streak to five matches before Saturday's loss.

Welsh finished with 14 kills and Bishop added 11 to lead the attack, Emma Bruder (Sr.-Frankfort, Ill.) posted 17 digs and Lakeland also served seven aces in eventually pulling away from the Eagles (9-7 overall, 1-2 NACC).

The Muskies are on the road again to Illinois again Tuesday when they travel to face new NACC member Illinois Institute of Technology at 7 p.m. in Chicago.