Lakeland University shattered Aurora University's 17-match winning streak in Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference play, becoming the first NACC team to defeat the Spartans in conference in three years with a four-set victory Saturday afternoon at the Moose & Dona Woltzen Gymnasium.

The Muskies scored one of their biggest wins in years, shaking up the NACC standings by knocking off the defending conference champions and a team that advanced to the NCAA Division III national quarterfinals last year. Lakeland won in four heavily contested sets, finishing off a 25-23, 22-25, 25-22, 25-21 win for its fourth straight NACC win.

The Muskies (10-8 overall, 4-1 NACC) prevailed in a match where both teams struggled on the attack. Lakeland hit at a .070 rate with 40 kills and 27 attack errors, while Aurora hit even lower at .035 with 47 kills but 40 errors.

The hosts finished with a big advantage serving, though, with 11 service aces to Aurora's three. The Muskies also had a number of momentum-turning runs on serve, especially in the third and fourth sets.

Lakeland trailed 7-3 early in the pivotal third set when Davan Fleming (Cremona, Alberta, Canada) came off the bench and was on serve for seven straight points. Fleming served a pair of aces, Megan Goeser (Jr.-Plymouth, Wis.) posted a big solo block and the Muskies also took advantage of five Spartan errors in building a 10-7 lead.

Aurora came back and led 19-17 late in the third before Lakeland scored six straight points to take control. Shannon Bishop (Sr.-River Grove, Ill.) hammered home two kills and also teamed up with Erin Iwanski (Sr.-St. Francis, Wis.) on two blocks as the Muskies gained the upper hand and went on to win the set.

The fourth set also was poised to go down to the wire with the teams were tied at 20-20 before Lakeland scored four straight points to get in prime position to clinch the match. Bishop and Iwanski teamed up on another block and three more Aurora attack errors put the Muskies on the doorstep of the win, where Riley Birr (Fr.-Pulaski, Wis.) closed it out with a kill on the second match point.

The Muskies and Spartans were close all match long, with 34 ties and 15 lead changes over four sets, including nine ties in each of the last three sets. The largest lead by either team was a pair of five-point margins for Aurora in the third set, but both times Lakeland rallied right back to take the lead.

Bishop finished with 14 kills to lead the Muskies' up-and-down attack and also 10 digs and five block assists, Abby Baumgartner (Jr.-Kewaunee, Wis.) notched nine kills and 25 digs, and Birr added eight kills plus nine digs.

Neenah Primas (Jr.-Oostburg, Wis.) added a double-double with 30 assists plus 18 digs, Sydney Pingitore (So.-Kenosha, Wis.) finished with 20 digs and Allison Byrne (Luxemburg, Wis.) also added 15 digs. Iwanski also finished with four block assists as Lakeland finished with nine team blocks.

Lakeland is back in action at home again Tuesday when it welcomes Illinois Institute of Technology for a 7 p.m. start at the Woltzen Gymnasium.