PLYMOUTH, Wis. – Susana Stevens (Sr.-Las Cruces, N.M.) rung up a career-high 21 kills and the Lakeland University women's volleyball team delivered its sharpest performance of the season in a four-set victory over Benedictine University Tuesday night at the Moose & Dona Woltzen Gymnasium.

The Muskies turned the page to Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference play with a 25-19, 22-25, 25-14, 25-17 victory over the Eagles. Lakeland won its conference opener and snapped a seven-match losing streak, improving to 2-10 overall on the season.

The Muskies posted their best hitting percentage of the season and received a number of career highs in just the team's second home match of the season after playing an early-season gauntlet against a schedule ranked among the 25 toughest in NCAA Division III to date.

Lakeland hit .200 for the match with 56 kills and 25 errors in 155 attacks. Stevens paced the improved attack with 21 kills in six swings, finishing with a .294 hitting percentage.

The senior posted at least four kills in every set and led the way in the Muskies' three set wins with 17 kills. Stevens piled up five quick kills in the third set as the Muskies took control of the match by busting out to a 10-2 lead, and she closed strong with six kills in the fourth set. Her 19th kill punctuated a run by the Muskies to take a 15-9 advantage leading to a Benedictine timeout, and she finished the match with kills on the final two points. Stevens topped her previous collegiate career high of 19 kills set last year against Rockford University.

Briuna Harper (Sr.-Waxahachie, Texas) also finished with a career-high 10 kills from her middle position, hitting .381 with just two errors in 21 attacks and frequently delivering key kills when Stevens rotated out. Harper posted three kills in the first set that included 14 ties and nine lead changes, twice tying the score and the third time pushing Lakeland's lead to 21-19 as the Muskies finished the opening set scoring the final five points.

Rylee Esquibel (Fr.-Devine, Texas) and Caitlyn Pernsteiner (So.-Arpin, Wis.) also added nine kills each, and both just missed double-doubles after Pernsteiner notched a career best with 16 digs and Esquibel added 13 digs. Sydney Gay (Fr.-Rice Lake, Wis.) reached a double-double with big numbers from the setter spot, the freshman finishing with season bests of 42 assists and 12 digs.

Ryan Figi (So.-Hartland, Wis.) added another career high with 21 digs from the libero spot. Including Katelyn Kitsembel (Jr.-Lake Mills, Wis.) with 14 digs, five players finished in double figures in digs, and the Muskies' defense held Benedictine to .086 hitting as a team with 37 kills and 24 errors. Lakeland even received timely contributions from substitutes, including Lucero Velazquez (Jr.-Sheboygan, Wis.) with an ace while serving out the final four points of the first set and Bailey Pearson (Jr.-Niagara, Wis.) posting two kills to keep the Muskies in the second set that the Eagles eventually held on to win.

Olivia McPherson led Benedictine (3-7 overall, 0-1 NACC) with 16 kills and added 12 digs, but no other Eagle finished with more than five kills. Kiara McPherson added 25 assists and 14 digs and Courtney Levy finished with 18 digs.

Lakeland steps back out of conference Saturday to play in the Pointer Invitational hosted by the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. The Muskies face Concordia College Moorhead (Minn.) at 12:30 p.m. and take on UW-River Falls at 3 p.m.