GRINNELL, Iowa – The Prairie Fire wrapped up the season on a high note by winning at Grinnell College in Midwest Conference play on Saturday.

Knox defeated the Pioneers 3-1 (25-23, 26-28, 25-23, 25-18).  The match included 35 ties –13 of them in the first set, and 15 lead changes.  The Prairie Fire finished with 57 kills to 49 for Grinnell and hit .311 and .300, respectively, in the first two sets.

Knox rallied to take a 1-0 match lead after trailing the opener 22-19.  A kill by first-year Kyleigh Guthals (Clovis, NM, Clovis) triggered three straight points that forced a 22-all tie.  The Pioneers scored the next point to regain the lead, but back-to-back kills and a block by first-year Rose Griffin (Maryland Heights, MO, Rosati-Kain) allowed the Prairie Fire to gain the upper hand.

Grinnell (7-20, 2-8 MWC) scored seven of the first 10 points in the second set, but the lead didn't last long as Knox responded with an 8-1 surge that included three straight tallies – the last two on kills by junior Jamie Blue, for an 11-8 Prairie Fire advantage.  Knox was a point away from going up 2-0 in the match, leading 24-22, when the Pioneers battled back and tied the set, 24-24.  Tied again at 25, Guthals put down a kill for a 26-25 lead with her serving for the Fire.  Grinnell's Natalie Duncombe recorded three consecutive kills as the hosts took the hard-earned set 28-26 and tied the match at one game apiece.

Knox, down 15-13 in the third set, scored four straight points – three of them on errors by Grinnell – for a 17-15 advantage.  The Pioneers forced one more tie, 17-17, before the Prairie Fire received a kill from Blue, a service ace from Griffin, and a kill by junior Casey Stachelski (Joliet, IL, Plainfield Central) to reclaim the lead for good.  Grinnell cut the deficit to one, the last time with Knox on top 24-23, but a service error ended the rally and Knox held on for a 25-23 set three victory.

The Prairie Fire (5-24, 3-7 MWC) scored four unanswered points early in the fourth set for a 7-3 lead.  The Pioneers scored the next point, followed by three in a row and eight of the next 11 by Knox for an eight point cushion –15-7 –that Grinnell couldn't overcome.

Griffin led all players with 18 kills to finish the regular season #1 in the Midwest Conference in kills (330) and kills per set average (3.14).  She also contributed 17 digs and three service aces for the Prairie Fire.  Guthals added a season-high 17 kills, led everyone with 21 digs, and she had two service aces.  Guthals led the MWC with 105 aces and ranked ninth in the league with an average of 0.33 aces per set.  Stachelski posted a career-high 46 assists to give her 750 on the season, which ranks fourth in the conference, and she's sixth in assists per set with 7.14.  Stachelski also tallied 13 digs, six kills, and two service aces.

In addition Blue put down seven kills, senior Katie White (Peoria, IL, Notre Dame) chipped in with six kills and four block assists, sophomore Madison Pierro (La Jolla, CA, Tri City Christian School) had 18 digs, and sophomore Holly Bieber (Chicago, IL, Walter Payton College Prep)recorded 11 digs for Knox to finish eighth in the MWC in digs and 10th in digs per set average (4.24).

Four days after defeating Monmouth College for the first time since 1997, Knox earned its first win against Grinnell since October of 2006 and concluded the season with the most Midwest Conference wins since 1995.