NAPERVILLE, Ill. — Playing its penultimate match of the season and final non-conference showdown, the Knox College volleyball team was unable to claim a set as host North Central College swept the match by scores of 25-12, 25-15 and 25-20. The Cardinals improve to 20-7 on the season on the strength of 15 kills by Abbi Barickman, while the Prairie Fire fall to 3-21.
Knox kept the score close in the early going, as back-to-back kills by first-year Maria Clara Jabor Jahn and junior Amelia Gamez knotted the first set at seven apiece. After a six-point run by North Central, sophomore Lydia Karli provided a couple of kills, but those could not stem the tide as the Cardinals ended the set on a 9-2 run.
The second set was never in much doubt as NCC jumped out to leads of 4-0, 11-3 and 16-6. But the third set was a tight affair with the Prairie Fire stringing together four straight points in the middle of the stanza to knot the score at 14 all. Shortly thereafter, a kill by senior Caroline Wolters, an ace by first-year Madelyn Dittrich and a Cardinal error put Knox on top, 18-17. Though the score would still be tied at 19 apiece, Najwa Williams provided kills on four of the next five North Central points, followed by an ace that ended the match.
- Wolters led the Prairie Fire with eight kills, while junior Carly Smith had five kills and a .500 attack percentage, both season highs.
- Junior libero Sam Black provided 14 digs with Wolters coming up with 10 more.
- Knox has lost three straight since winning consecutive games for the first time in two years.
Knox will play its final match of the season on Saturday, Nov. 9 at 1 p.m. at Midwest Conference co-leader Cornell College (15-11, 6-0 MWC), which first hosts third-place Grinnell tomorrow evening. Live video and stats will be available through PrairieFire.Knox.edu, the official website of Knox College Athletics.
