PLYMOUTH, Wis. – The Lakeland University women's volleyball team rallied from two sets down to tie the match but Carthage College used a run late in the deciding set to pull ahead and outlast the Muskies in five sets Tuesday night at the Moose & Dona Woltzen Gymnasium.
Lakeland pushed Carthage to the brink before Firebirds held on for a 28-26, 25-22, 23-25, 29-31, 15-12 victory. The season opener for both teams became a marathon match that took well over 2 1/2 hours before ending just before 10 p.m.
The opener promised to be a measuring stick for the Muskies in facing a Carthage team receiving votes in the AVCA/NCAA Division III top 25 preseason coaches poll. The set scores said it all about Lakeland's ability to compete with a strong team, with all five sets decided by three points or less, and two sets going well past 25 points. The teams combined for 48 ties and 21 lead changes, and Lakeland led late in both of the first two sets even in falling behind in the match, before rallying to win the next two sets.
The Muskies came back from down 18-15 in the third set, scoring four straight points to take the lead and closing the set with a kill by
Rylee Esquibel (
Jr.-Devine, Texas) in the back row player's only attack of the match. Lakeland then fought off four match points in the fourth set, coming through with a pair of kills by
Emily Hansen (
Jr.-Mayville, Wis.) and a block by Hansen and
Laura Pearson (
Jr.-San Diego, Calif.) to win at 31-29.
The fifth set also appeared set to go to the wire and perhaps beyond the limit when the Muskies scored consecutive points after a timeout to tie at 8-8, but Carthage came up with what proved to be the deciding run with four straight points. Three Lakeland attack errors aided the Firebirds' effort, and the guests would never trail again. The Muskies made one last rally, staving off two match points with kills by
Maleigha Kovalaske (
Jr.-Ripon, Wis.) and Hansen to get within 14-12, but a service error ended the comeback attempt.
The match opened with Carthage in control early, building a 19-10 lead in the first set as All-American Kristina Manojlovic heated up early and setter Ava Dettwiler flummoxed Lakeland with six kills early. The Muskies struck back with authority, though, scoring 11 of the next 12 points to take a 21-20 lead. The Firebirds would come back to get to set point at 24-22, but Lakeland turned away four set points before finally succumbing, and the tone was set for the rest of the match.
Manojlovic finished with 28 kills with 10 errors in 61 attacks for a .295 hitting percentage. Carthage hit .193 as a team with 70 kills and 33 errors, ahead of the Muskies' .167 mark with 61 kills and 30 errors, but Lakeland posted slim advantages in service aces (10 to 7) and blocks (8 to 6).
Kovalaske finished with 16 kills plus 20 digs and four blocks (one solo, three assisted) and Hansen posted 14 kills in her debut.
Samya Hughes (
So.-Wisconsin Rapids, Wis.) added 11 kills.
Ryan Figi (
Sr.-Hartland, Wis.) totaled a team-high 24 digs, including separate diving saves of balls while flying into the scorer's table and bench seats.
Sydney Gay (
Jr.-Rice Lake, Wis.) posted 31 assists,
Katie Westerholm (
Fr.-Prior Lake, Minn.) finished with 22 assists plus 10 digs and
AnnMarie Cates (
Jr.-Williams Bay, Wis.) added three service aces.
Lakeland next competes in the Ripon College Classic this weekend with four matches over two days, starting by facing Concordia College Moorhead (Minn.) at 3 p.m on Friday.
