WAUKESHA, Wis. - Dana Voltolina's killer instinct took over.
Voltolina, a 5-foot-11 junior outside hitter from St. Charles, Ill., had eight kills and four blocks to help set the tone as the Carroll University women's volleyball team swept Marian University 26-24, 25-13, 25-19 in a nonconference dual meet at Van Male Field House on Thursday.
It was the second home-court dual victory and fourth sweep of the season for Carroll, which snapped a six-match losing streak to improve to 6-14 overall.
Trailing 24-21 in the critical, momentum-building opening set, the Pioneers responded with five unanswered points to complete a dramatic, pressure-packed comeback.
Voltolina and 6-2 freshman middle blocker Erika Dunnam (Shawano, Wis.) became a powerful force upfront by reacting with two strong blocks during the crucial run - including an aggressive finish on the right side to tie the game 24-24.
Freshman outside hitter Kylie Mueller (Fox Lake, Ill.) followed with back-to-back service points, highlighted by an ace to seal a first-game victory.
It proved to be the turning point in the match as Carroll fed off of the adrenaline the rest of the way, played with a high level of intensity and dominated during key stretches of the final two games.
"We meshed well tonight so it felt great to be able to play up to our potential and get a victory on our home court," said Voltolina, who delivered a thunderous, left-handed cross-court spike to trim the deficit to 24-23 in the first game. "One of the strengths of the team is our blocking so it was nice to be able to take advantage of it early in the match.
"When we trailed at the end of the first set, we really tried to pick up the intensity and attack each point with as much energy as possible. That's when we started to turn things around and went on the big run. The success carried over to the rest of the match so it was great to be able to finish the night off on a high note."
The Pioneers showcased their athleticism, depth and balanced attack throughout the evening with a variety of players making valuable contributions.
Sophomore outside hitter Amanda Hahn (Itasca, Ill.) contributed eight kills, 10 digs and an ace, utilizing an effective right-handed serve to score three consecutive points at the beginning of  the pivotal second game for Carroll. 
Dunnam followed with seven kills and five blocks, sophomore outside hitter Josie Wierzal (Frankfort, Ill.) had seven kills, Mueller and sophomore middle blocker Karley Wolf (Roselle, Ill.) each collected five kills, sophomore libero Rachel Harn (Freeport, Ill.) had 18 digs and freshman setter Emma Przeslicke (Evergreen Park, Ill.) added 18 assists.
Freshman setter Jennilyn Joy Cave (Bolingbrook, Ill.) rounded out the list of top contributors with four aces and 20 assists, also scoring four consecutive points to extend the lead to 19-14 in the final set. 
Carroll head coach Becca Saal was happy with the way her young, enthusiastic team maintained its focus, battled back in the first game and closed the match out with authority.
 "Our ability to maintain a balanced offensive attack really played an important role tonight," Saal said. "We had a lot of different players step up during the first set (referring to the starting lineup and several key individuals coming in off the bench) and it set the tone for the rest of the match. I was very happy with the way we fought back at the end of the opening game and asserted ourselves to earn the victory. We played up to our potential, executed at a high level and took care of business to come away with a sweep. It was a nice step forward and showed that we're continuing to make progress with each competition."
Senior outside hitter Caitlyn Brehm had seven kills, 10 digs and a block for Marian, which dropped to 4-16 overall.