PLYMOUTH, Wis. – The Lakeland University women's volleyball team bolted out to a quick two-set lead but then had to win a deciding fifth set to finally defeat Milwaukee School of Engineering Thursday night at the Moose & Dona Woltzen Gymnasium.

The Muskies prevailed 25-23, 25-21, 19-25, 23-25, 15-11 for their second Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference win of the season. Lakeland improved to 7-10 overall and 2-3 in conference and continued a streak of alternating wins and losses over its last eight matches.

The Muskies pulled out a close first set late but built a big lead on the way to winning the second set and appeared to be cruising to the sweep late in the third set. Instead, Lakeland saw a 2-0 lead in the match evaporate and had to mount a comeback from an early deficit in the fifth set to earn the win.

MSOE led 5-3 early in the fifth set after a service ace by Emma Braun before Lakeland went on a 5-1 run to get to the eight-point mark first in the set. The Raiders would rally back to tie at 9-9 and were still tied at 11-11, but the Muskies closed out the match scoring the final four points. An MSOE attack error and a kill by Brelynn Scoles (Sr.-Kewaskum, Wis.) staked a 13-11 lead, and a Raiders attack error and a kill by Kelly Swope (Sr.-Heyworth, Ill.) closed it out on the first match point.

After narrowly winning the first set, Lakeland appeared to have taken full control of the match in the second set, racing out to a 21-10 lead. MSOE (5-11 overall, 0-6 NACC) went on a run late in the set, closing within three, but the Muskies still finished out the set and then led 19-15 late in the set, just six points from finishing out the match in three sets.

The Raiders finished out the third set on a 10-0 run, though, and then rallied again in the fourth set. Lakeland led 16-11 at one point and still held a 20-16 lead when MSOE went on a 7-2 run to take the lead. The Muskies briefly tied it back up at 23-23 after a Raiders setting error, but a service error and an attack error pushed the match to a fifth set.

MSOE proved to be a tough out behind the hitting of Emma Schattschneider and Emily Stratton. Schattschneider racked up 20 kills and seemed to score points just about every way imaginable, while Stratton also added a season-high 14 kills.

The Raiders finished with 55 kills to Lakeland's 44 kills and also added a 9-6 edge in service aces. MSOE also finished with 37 attack errors to the Muskies' 25, allowing Lakeland a slim .123 to .108 advantage in hitting percentage.

Susana Stevens (Jr.-Las Cruces, N.M.) led the Muskies with 13 kills and Swope added nine kills. Maeve Sullivan (Sr.-Chicago, Ill.) finished with 22 digs and three service aces and Emily Dickmann (Fr.-Grafton, Wis.) posted 19 assists. Katie Metzler (Sr.-Kewaunee, Wis.) also added seven kills and four blocks (two solo, two assisted).

Lakeland is on the road for its next match Saturday when it travels to face Illinois Institute of Technology at noon in Chicago.