MILWAUKEE – Emily Duchow (Sr.-Potter, Wis.) notched a career-high 49 assists and set up four teammates for double-digit kill totals and the Lakeland University women's volleyball team worked through a second set hiccup to defeat Alverno College in four sets Tuesday night.

The Muskies slid past the Inferno 25-16, 21-25, 25-15, 25-18 to stay on pace in their quest for a spot in the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference Tournament. Lakeland improved to 6-4 in conference and also moved back over the .500 mark for the season at 13-12 overall.

The Muskies hit .292 as a team, posting their second-best attack percentage of the season with 63 kills and 18 errors.
Katie Metzler (Jr.-Kewaunee, Wis.) and Susana Stevens (So.-Las Cruces, N.M.) both piled up 15 kills each, Kelly Swope (Jr.-Heyworth, Ill.) finished with 13 kills and Brelynn Scoles (Jr.-Kewaskum, Wis.) added ten kills. Metzler also hit at a .542 rate with just two errors in 24 attacks and fellow middle Isabella Westerholm (So.-Prior Lake, Minn.) added eight kills and hit .462 for the match.

Alverno also countered with a respectable attack, though, hitting .178 with 40 kills and 17 errors. Despite coming in winless in the NACC (5-17 overall, 0-10 NACC), Alverno on its Senior Night proved tough to shake in every set except the third, when the Muskies answered the hosts' second-set win by leading wire-to-wire in the third set.

Lakeland took control of the first set midway through and closed it out scoring the final six points, including three kills in that stretch by Swope and a service ace by Scoles to finish the set. The Inferno returned the favor in the second set, though, coming from 20-18 down to score seven of the final eight points to even the match at 1-1.

The Muskies responded by darting out to an 8-1 lead in the third set to win easily, but Alverno hung around early in the fourth set which had seven ties and two lead changes early. Lakeland went ahead on back-to-back kills by Swope and an ace by Scoles for a 10-8 lead and never trailed again, finishing the match on a 6-2 run capped by an ace on match point by Hailey DeGrave (Jr.-Sturgeon Bay, Wis.).

Duchow set her career high for assists for the second time in three matches after totaling 47 assists Saturday against Benedictine University. Maeve Sullivan (Jr.-Chicago, Ill.) also posted a team-best 23 digs, and Scoles totaled three aces as Lakeland finished with ten service aces.

Rolin West led Alverno with 15 kills and added 12 digs. Natalie Onozie added ten kills and Breann Flannery totaled 22 digs.

The Muskies are back home Friday when they welcome Marian University for a 7 p.m. first serve at the Moose & Dona Woltzen Gymnasium.