RIVER FOREST, Ill. – The Lakeland University women's volleyball team bounced back from a loss on Halloween by defeating Concordia University Chicago in four sets Saturday afternoon at Concordia's Geiseman Gymnasium.

The Muskies moved closer to locking in their seeding in the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference Tournament, ensuring a seed no worse than sixth in the eight-team tournament. Lakeland improved to 10-17 overall and 8-4 in conference, and goes into the final night of league play tied with Benedictine University for fifth in the standings. The Muskies can clinch the fifth seed in the tourney with a win in their regular season finale against Wisconsin Lutheran College or a Benedictine loss at NACC co-leader Edgewood College.

Lakeland wasn't dominant but generally stayed a step ahead of the Cougars (11-14 overall, 3-9 NACC) most of the match. The Muskies finished strong to take a close first set, controlled the second set and then rebounded from a third set loss to again hold the upper hand throughout the fourth set.

Concordia refused to go away in the first set, coming back from a 17-12 deficit to tie at 18-18 and alternating points with Lakeland up to 21-all. The Muskies finished with the final four points, though, with consecutive kills by Briuna Harper (Sr.-Waxahachie, Texas), Susana Stevens (Sr.-Las Cruces, N.M.) and Caitlyn Pernsteiner (So.-Arpin, Wis.), and then Stevens finished with another kill on set point.

Lakeland never trailed in the second set, but the Cougars performed the same feat in the third set to stay alive. The Muskies regrouped in the fourth, though, and after the teams were tied at 5-5, Lakeland went on a 7-1 run and led the rest of the way.

Stevens finished with 16 kills and Pernsteiner added 13 kills, one short of her career high. Rylee Esquibel (Fr.-Devine, Texas) also added nine kills and also led the team with 16 digs. Pernsteiner also added 14 digs and Ryan Figi (So.-Hartland, Wis.) finished with 13 digs.

Sydney Gay (Fr.-Rice Lake, Wis.) and Roseily Carrasquillo (Sr.-Yabucoa, Puerto Rico) shared setting duties and finished with 21 and 20 assists, respectively. Harper and Isabella Westerholm (Sr.-Prior Lake, Minn.) were both part of four blocks and the Muskies set a season high with nine total blocks.

Lili Hunt led Concordia Chicago with 13 kills and Rachel Livesay and Brooke Christensen added 10 kills each. Janelle White also finished with 16 digs.

Lakeland closes the regular season on the road at Wisconsin Lutheran this Thursday at 7 p.m. in Milwaukee.