RIVER FOREST, Ill. – The Lakeland University women's volleyball team earned the right to host a Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference Tournament match by winning its 10th straight match, defeating Concordia University Chicago in three sets Saturday afternoon at CUC's Geiseman Gymnasium.

The Muskies rallied at the wire to win the first set and then went on to a 25-23, 25-19, 25-13 sweep in their regular season finale. Lakeland clinched a winning overall record on the season and is 16-13 overall and 10-3 in the NACC.

The Muskies tied Concordia University Wisconsin for the fourth spot in the conference standings, but Lakeland defeated CUW in five sets in the teams' regular season meeting on Oct. 25. As a result, the fourth-seeded Muskies will host the No. 5 seed Falcons for an NACC tourney quarterfinal match Tuesday night at 7 p.m. at the Moose & Dona Woltzen Gymnasium.

Lakeland had a few nervous moments in the first set after a slow start, falling behind the Cougars 19-11 before finding their form. The Muskies finished the set on a 14-4 run, including scoring seven of the final eight points after trailing 22-18 late. Caitlyn Pernsteiner (Jr.-Arpin, Wis.) served five straight points including an ace as part of a 6-0 run, and Maleigha Kovalaske (So.-Ripon, Wis.) sent home the kill on set point to complete the comeback.

The Muskies held the upper hand the rest of the way, only trailing once in each of the final two sets at 1-0 after the Cougars (6-20 overall, 2-11 NACC) scored the first point. Concordia Chicago was still stubborn in the second set, trailing just 19-18 late before a Lakeland 5-0 run, and only in the final set would the Muskies win comfortably with the help of an 8-1 run just past the halfway point.

Samya Hughes (Fr.-Wisconsin Rapids, Wis.) posted a match-high 14 kills, her 18th straight match with double-digit kills and her 26th with at least 10 kills this season. Kovalaske also posted eight kills and Pernsteiner added six kills, with Faith Baker (So.-Verona, Ill.) and Sydney Gay (So.-Rice Lake, Wis.) both adding five kills each. The Muskies finished hitting .282 for the match with 40 kills and 11 errors.

Gay also posted 32 assists and Kenzie Jackson (Fr.-Mansfield, Texas) added five blocks (two solo, three assisted). Ryan Figi (Jr.-Hartland, Wis.) also totaled 14 digs.

Lili Hunt led Concordia Chicago with eight kills and Evan Fitzgerald added 13 assists plus four service aces. The Cougars hit .052 as a team with 30 kills but also 24 errors.