PLYMOUTH, Wis. –  Susana Stevens (So.-Las Cruces, N.M.) tied her season high with 15 kills and the Lakeland University women's volleyball team won its fourth straight match, defeating Concordia University Chicago in three sets Friday night at the Moose & Dona Woltzen Gymnasium.

The Muskies controlled the first set and then pulled out two close sets for a 25-15, 27-25, 25-22 victory. Lakeland improved to 8-9 overall and is 2-1 in the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference, with a chance to even its season record tomorrow against Dominican (Ill.) University.

The Muskies hit .287 for the match with 41 kills and just ten errors, the team's second-best hitting performance of the season behind only a .315 mark in a win over Lake Forest (Ill.) College Sept. 10. The attacking prowess plus a 75% sideout percentage allowed Lakeland to overcome 20 service errors and a stubborn Concordia team in the final two sets.

The Muskies never trailed in the first set, but then trailed much of the second set, including a four-point deficit on five occasions, the last time at 17-13. Concordia still led 23-21 late before a ball handling error and two attack errors suddenly gave Lakeland its first lead of the set and a set point. The Cougars responded with kills by Grace Heywood and McKayla LeVoy to get a set point of their own, but Brelynn Scoles (Jr.-Kewaskum, Wis.) was part of three straight points, including a kill, a block with Isabella Westerholm (So.-Prior Lake, Minn.) and then a kill on the Muskies' second set point to give the hosts a 2-0 match lead.

The teams alternated points time and again in an ultra-close third set that included 17 ties. The final one came at 21-all, but Westerholm delivered a kill, CUC committed an attack error and Emily Duchow (Sr.-Potter, Wis.) served her first ace of the match to get Lakeland to match point. Concordia staved off the first match point but followed with a service error to close it out.

Stevens was red-hot on the attack with 15 kills and just two errors in 31 swings for a .419 hitting percentage. Scoles also contributed nine kills and Kelly Swope (Jr.-Heyworth, Ill.) added seven kills. Duchow finished with 30 assists and Maeve Sullivan (Jr.-Chicago, Ill.) led the back row defense with 17 digs. Westerholm also finished with four block assists coming on all four team blocks for Lakeland.

Concordia (6-8 overall, 1-2 NACC) finished hitting .040 for the match with 29 kills and 25 errors, including a negative hitting mark in the first two sets before attacking at a .296 clip with 12 kills and four errors in the third set. Heywood and Katie Stonich both finished with nine kills and Julia Beers posted 11 digs.

Lakeland hosts Dominican on Saturday at noon and it will be Senior Day for the Muskies with the team's six seniors honored before the match.