Lakeland University took a big step forward in the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference women's volleyball race with a seasoned, confident effort against a younger opponent, defeating Wisconsin Lutheran College in three sets Tuesday night at the Moose & Dona Woltzen Gymnasium.

The Muskies rolled to a 25-17, 25-22, 25-16 win over the Warriors in a battle for position in the conference. Lakeland won its eighth straight NACC match and broke a tie with WLC in the standings while remaining one of three teams at the top of the conference with just one loss.

The Muskies (14-13 overall, 8-1 NACC) showed the mettle of a team that has played a number of matches against NACC heavyweights in recent years, quickly establishing control. Lakeland did not trail in the match until the third set, and roared back soon in that set after briefly falling into its biggest hole of the match.

Lakeland hit a respectable .214 for the match with 36 kills, but the Muskies' 14 errors were just as key as they were less than half the total of Wisconsin Lutheran (13-10 overall, 7-2 NACC), which finished with 29 hitting errors to its 31 kills. The hosts frequently came out on the scoring end on long points and finished with a 66% sideout percentage, 18 percentage points higher than the Warriors.

The Muskies cruised through the first set and most of the second until facing a brief nervous moment in the second. Lutheran cut into a 19-12 lead, getting as close as 23-22 late, but Shannon Bishop (Sr.-River Grove, Ill.) and Abby Baumgartner (Jr.-Kewaunee, Wis.) finished the set with kills to give the hosts a two-set lead.

The Warriors then got off to a quick start in the third set, taking a 7-2 lead that led to a Lakeland timeout. The Muskies responded with an 8-1 run with two kills by Megan Goeser (Jr.-Plymouth, Wis.) plus five WLC attack errors. Lakeland would never trail again, finishing the set outscoring the guests 23-9 after the early deficit.

Baumgartner and Goeser led the Muskies with 10 kills each, including Goeser hitting .600 with just one error in 15 swings. Bishop added seven kills and seven digs and Erin Iwanski (Sr.-St. Francis, Ill.) added four kills plus three blocks.

Lakeland also received good work from its back row, with Sydney Pingitore (So.-Kenosha, Wis.) finishing with a match-high 15 digs and Allison Byrne (Sr.-Luxemburg, Wis.) added 12 digs. Neenah Primas (Jr.-Oostburg, Wis.) also added a double-double with 26 assists plus 10 digs and Natalie Bova (Sr.-Chicago, Ill.) contributed two service aces.

Mercedes Pye finished with seven kills and Cassidy Johnson added 12 digs plus 10 assists for a young Wisconsin Lutheran team dominated by freshmen and sophomore.

The Muskies are back in the NACC this weekend when they travel to River Forest, Ill., first to face Dominican University Friday night at 7 p.m. and then to take on Concordia University Chicago Saturday at 1 p.m.