GALESBURG, Ill. ­— Senior Caroline Wolters and first-year Maria Clara Jabor John provided five kills apiece for the Knox College volleyball team in its home opener at Memorial Gym on Wednesday evening, but Illinois Institute of Technology (5-4) got 16 from Karla Trautmann Mendez to defeat the Prairie Fire (0-6), 25-17, 25-13, 25-21.

Knox jumped out to an early 5-4 lead in the opening set on a kill by sophomore middle blocker Lydia Karli, but the Scarlet Hawks rattled off the next six points to take control and never led by fewer than three for the remainder of the set. IIT started the second stanza with four consecutive points, and a 7-1 run that gave the visitors a 16-7 lead kept them in command.

But when the Scarlet Hawks started the third set with five straight points, Knox started to claw its way back. Kills by first-year setter Justice Cardenas and junior Amelia Gamez got the team on the board, and when the Prairie Fire still trailed by four at 13-9, they strung together the longest scoring run of the match at eight points with Cardenas serving for a 17-13 lead. Illinois Tech responded by tallying six of the next seven points to regain the advantage. When junior Carly Smith put away a kill to knot the score at 19, Knox ran out of fuel for its fire and the Scarlet Hawks finished the sweep.

• The Knox defense posted seven blocks on the night with Karli having a hand in six of them with one solo and five block assists.
• Wolters provided a game-high 17 digs while junior libero Sam Black dug out 12 attacks to lead the Prairie Fire.
• Cardenas finished the night with a double-double of 10 assists and digs.

Knox will play its next 10 matches outside of Galesburg, lasting more than a month, beginning with the Monmouth College Tournament that starts on Friday afternoon against Westminster College (Mo.) at 1 p.m.