WHEATON, Ill. — In their first CCIW Tournament appearance in several years, the Carroll University women's volleyball team delivered a gutsy performance but fell just short in a five-set thriller against Wheaton College, 3–2 (21–25, 25–15, 26–24, 23–25, 15–11) on Tuesday night at King Arena.

The No. 5-seeded Pioneers (16–16) came out strong, taking the opening set behind efficient attacking from Bronwyn Rowse and Carly Hicklin, and a balanced defensive effort that produced 9.0 team blocks. Carroll also won the fourth set to force a decisive fifth, but No. 4 seed Wheaton (22–9) capitalized on late momentum and a .474 hitting percentage in the final frame to seal the win.

Audrey Rosenbaum led Carroll with 15 kills, hitting .257 and adding 4 blocks. Rowse contributed 14 kills and 8 digs, while Brooklyn Johnson and Kylie Wittnebel combined for 13 blocks and 16 kills. Setter Payton Depies ran the offense with 58 assists and added 14 digs.

Despite the loss, Carroll showed resilience throughout the match, rallying from deficits and trading leads in a contest that featured 22 tie scores and 8 lead changes. The Pioneers held Wheaton to just .239 hitting overall and out-blocked the Thunder 9.0 to 5.0.

The match marked a significant step forward for Carroll's program, returning to postseason play and pushing a top-four seed to the brink. With a strong core returning and postseason experience now in hand, the future looks bright for the Pioneers.