The Lakeland University women's volleyball team saw its Senior Day soured as Illinois Institute of Technology defeated the Muskies in three sets Saturday afternoon at the Moose & Dona Woltzen Gymnasium.

The Scarlet Hawks swept to a 25-14, 25-20, 26-24 win in Lakeland's final home match of the season and the final at home for a trio of seniors. Illinois Tech remained in play for a spot in the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference Tournament while the Muskies dropped to 5-17 overall and 4-8 in conference with two matches to play on their season.

Lakeland honored seniors Emily Bringer (Round Lake, Ill.), Kimmy McKay (Bolingbrook, Ill.) and Sydney Pingitore (Kenosha, Wis.) before the match, but it was the Scarlet Hawks (17-10 overall, 8-4 NACC) in control much of the way. Illinois Tech led much of the way in winning the first two sets in convincing fashion and then stole the final set after the Muskies were on the doorstep of extending the match to a fourth set.

Lakeland led the fifth set from 5-4 on, was ahead by as much as six points at 21-15 and still held a 22-17 lead after a Tech service error. The Scarlet Hawks came back to score the next four points, though, to get within one, and then after a kill by Susana Stevens (Fr.-Las Cruces, N.M.) scored two more to tie it at 23-23.

Lakeland reached a set point at 24-23 after an IIT attack error, but a kill by Jessica Weaver and a service ace by Briar Moore brought the Scarlet Hawks to a match point. The guests would clinch the match and the Muskies' day ended suddenly when an attack down the line by Hailey DeGrave (So.-Sturgeon Bay, Wis.) initially thought to be in was ruled to be just wide.

Illinois Tech outhit Lakeland with a .162 attack percentage (34 kills, 17 errors) to Lakeland's .089 rate (33 kills, 23 errors). The Scarlet Hawks also posted a 7-3 advantage in aces and also posted nine blocks while the Muskies went without a block.

DeGrave led Lakeland with eight kills off the bench and Katie Metzler (So.-Kewaunee, Wis.) added seven kills, but no other Muskie finished with more than four kills. Emily Duchow (Jr.-Potter, Wis.) finished with 15 assists and eight digs and Pingitore led the back row with 14 digs.

Moore paced IIT with ten kills and Sadie Harrington and Emily Graham both added eight kills each. Harrington also added five block assists and Kelcie Starnes finished with three service aces. The Scarlet Hawks remained in a three-way tie for fourth in the NACC with one match to play and five teams in play for the final three spots in the six-team conference tournament.

Lakeland concludes the NACC portion of its schedule when it travels to face Edgewood College Wednesday in Madison at 7 p.m.