PLYMOUTH, Wis. – The Lakeland University women's volleyball team rallied to pull out the first set but St. Norbert College was largely in control after that and sent the Muskies to a four-set defeat Thursday night at the Moose & Dona Woltzen Gymnasium.

The Green Knights finished a 22-25, 25-13, 25-20, 25-21 victory in a Halloween night matchup of Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference contenders. St. Norbert stayed in a three-way tie atop the conference standings at 10-1 (17-12 overall), while the Muskies dropped back to 9-17 overall and 7-4 in league play with two conference matches remaining, both on the road after Thursday's final regular season home appearance.

Lakeland came back late to take the opening set and led by three late in the fourth set, but ultimately could not overcome one of its worst hitting performances of the season. The Muskies registered a .043 attack percentage with 38 kills and 31 errors, their fifth-lowest mark of the season and easily their worst in a conference match.

Lakeland did get off to a good start, holding a slim lead most of the first set and then battling back after a late St. Norbert run. The Muskies closed the set scoring six of the final seven points, including Lucero Velazquez (Jr.-Sheboygan, Wis.) coming off the bench and serving four straight points including a pair of aces, and a SNC service error finished the opening set win.

The Muskies sputtered in the second set and also never led in the third set in falling behind in the match. Lakeland eventually broke free in a close fourth set, building a three-point lead on several occasions, the last time on a kill by Briuna Harper (Waxahachie, Texas) to make it 17-14.

The Muskies' attempt to tie up the match fell apart from there, though. The Green Knights went on a 10-1 run, including six straight points after the teams were tied at 18-18. Lakeland fought off three match points, but Mari Szews closed it out for St. Norbert with a kill on the fourth match point.

No. 4 on the St. Norbert team in kills coming in, Szews finished with 10 kills and a .391 attack percentage. Alyssa Clark added 12 kills and Alli Clark finished with eight kills for the Green Knights, who hit .159 with 52 kills and 29 errors. Heidi Colburn also added 40 assists, six kills and 10 digs.

Susana Stevens (Sr.-Las Cruces, N.M.) led Lakeland with 13 kills and with 1,129 career kills has moved into fifth on the school's all-time list, surpassing Holly Wellman (1,119 from 1998-2001). Stevens also was held to a .043 hitting mark, though, and the next-best hitting for the Muskies came from Harper with six kills and Isabella Westerholm (Sr.-Prior Lake, Minn.) and Caitlyn Pernsteiner (So.-Arpin, Wis.) adding five kills each.

Sydney Gay (Fr.-Rice Lake, Wis.) finished with 22 assists and Ryan Figi (So.-Hartland, Wis.) paced the team with 15 digs.

The Muskies are on the road Saturday to face Concordia University Chicago at noon in River Forest, Ill.