ELMHURST, Ill. — Playing its first match in eight days, the Knox College volleyball team could not keep up with Elmhurst University, which was celebrating homecoming this weekend, as the Prairie Fire (0-13) fell in three sets to the Blue Jays (7-6), 25-8, 25-9, 25-17.
The first set was a harbinger of things to come as Elmhurst scored the first seven points. A service error and block by senior Molly Biggs got Knox on the board, but the Blue Jays would not allow back-to-back points again for the rest of the set. The second set was eerily similar as Elmhurst rattled off six straight points to start, followed by a service error and a Knox block, this time by first-year Maria Clara Jabor John. The Prairie Fire were able to string consecutive points together two more times in the set, though it wasn't enough to slow down the Blue Jay attack.
While Elmhurst took the lead at the outset of the third set, Knox did not relent, battling back to take the lead at 14-13 on back-to-back kills by first-year Zoe Thunhurst and junior Carly Smith. After the two sides traded points, the Blue Jays managed to take control back with eight straight points before finishing off the sweep.
- Thunhurst was the top player for the Prairie Fire, leading the team with three kills, seven assists and seven digs.
- Knox had only five attack errors in the match and posted a .125 attack percentage, but managed just 12 kills.
- Of Elmhurst's 75 points, 65 came via either a kill (46) or service ace (19), led by Blair Johnson with 10 kills and a .750 attack percentage.
The Prairie Fire are back on the road next weekend as Midwest Conference play begins at Lake Forest College (2-12) on Friday, Oct. 4 at 7 p.m. at the Sports & Recreation Center. The match will be streamed live with in-game stats available through PrairieFire.Knox.edu, the official website of Knox College Athletics.
