GRINNELL, Iowa — The Knox College volleyball team was unable to knock off either Carroll University or the University of Dubuque in its final two matches of the Grinnell-Central Invite on Saturday, faltering in both contests by 3-0 finals. Sophomore Maria Jabor Jahn led the Prairie Fire (0-4) with a total of nine kills over the two matches.

Knox began the day against Carroll (2-1), which took an early lead in the first set and never let the Prairie Fire recover to claim a 25-15 victory. The second set was a different matter as Knox scored four straight points early to take a 4-3 lead, then traded points for a bit with that lead remaining at one, 10-9. But the Pioneers rattled off three straight to jump in front and never look back in another 25-15 score. Similarly in the third set, the Fire were in a dead heat at 12 apiece after an ace by senior Sam Black. The next six points, however, went to Carroll, and Knox was unable to recover in the 25-19 clincher.

Dubuque, fresh off a sweep off host Grinnell, continued its roll and ended the invitational with a perfect 4-0 mark by winning all three sets, 25-7, 25-15, 25-10. The second set was encouraging for the Prairie Fire as they led as late as 11-10 before the Spartans put together runs of five and six points to take control. Eight of Knox's nine kills in the set came in the opening stretch. Dubuque jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the third and never allowed the Fire to start burning.

• Jabor Jahn collected four kills in the first match of the day and a team-high five against the Spartans.
• Sophomore Zoe Thunhurst moved into the setter's role today, dishing out double-digit assists in each match (11, 10).
• Senior Zoe Pav, Knox College's 2025-26 Student Laureate of the Lincoln Academy of Illinois, led the defensive effort with nine digs in each outing.

Knox will be back in action on Tuesday evening with two opportunities to win its first match of the 2025 season. The Prairie Fire will pair off against Simpson College on Sept. 2 at 5 p.m., then take on Central College following the completion of that match. Both contests will be played at Central's P.H. Kuyper Gymnasium.