The Prairie Fire tried to wind up the home portion of the 2010 season on a high note during a triangular against Grinnell College and Iowa Wesleyan College last Saturday, but the visitors kept the hosts from enjoying their final matches of the year at Memorial Gymnasium.

Grinnell defeated Knox in the Prairie Fire's first match of the afternoon 25-16, 28-26, 25-23.  Knox recorded 40 kills in the match, led by 12 from junior Kelly Ricketts (Galesburg, Illinois).  First-year hitter Kaylie Prince (Westminster, Colorado) added nine, as did sophomore Kristin McDonald (Chicago, Illinois).

The Pioneers' Bonnie Kircher reached double-figure kills with 11 and added eight digs.  Setter Olivia Wilks had 20 assists and 12 digs while Kate Duran also had 12 digs.  The win boosted Grinnell's record in Midwest Conference matches to 4-2, and 10-10 overall.

First-year Knox setter Nina Mack (Algonquin, Illinois) had a match-high 34 assists, along with an ace and four digs.  Another first-year player, middle hitter Amber Eisha (South Wilmington, Illinois), had seven kills for the Prairie Fire.

Knox (5-16) tried to even the score with Iowa Wesleyan in the second match of the afternoon.  The two teams met earlier this season in Mount Pleasant, Iowa.  The Tigers prevailed in that meeting 3-0.

IWC (7-19) also won the second match-up of the season 25-18, 25-22, 25-15.  Wesleyan was led by Kendra Zimmerman's excellent all-around performance of 16 assists, seven kills and 12 digs.  B.J. Wagy also played well with three kills, nine digs and three blocks - two of them solo.

Ricketts paced the Prairie Fire with 10 kills while also adding seven digs and two aces.  Prince and six kills and eight digs and Eisha contributed five kills.

Knox is on the road for the rest of the season. Two Midwest Conference matches are scheduled this week - Friday night at Carroll University and Saturday afternoon at Ripon College.

The Fire ends the season with a trip to Milwaukee, Wisconsin in the Cardinal Stritch Tournament. 

Three matches are on tap on October 29 and 30.  The first is against host school Cardinal Stritch University on Friday the 29th.  The last two matches of the season are Saturday the 30th against Clarke College and Benedictine University of Springfield (IL).