LISLE, Ill. – Carroll University women's volleyball battled through two competitive matches at the Benedictine Triangular on Saturday, falling in straight sets to St. Norbert before rallying for a thrilling five-set victory over host Benedictine.

In the opener, Carroll dropped a 3-0 decision to St. Norbert (20-25, 20-25, 23-25). The Pioneers (8-8) pushed the Green Knights in every set, highlighted by a back-and-forth third frame with 10 ties and four lead changes. Carly Hicklin and Audrey Rosenbaum paced the attack with seven kills each, while setter Payton Depies dished out 19 assists and added 11 digs. Defensively, libero Maggie McGough anchored the back row with eight digs, and Carroll posted eight team blocks, led by Kylie Wittnebel and Karlee Riggs with two apiece.

Carroll bounced back in dramatic fashion against Benedictine, earning a 3-2 win (13-25, 25-15, 23-25, 25-15, 15-2). After dropping the first set, the Pioneers dominated the second behind a .200 hitting percentage and strong serving runs. The match turned in the fifth set, where Carroll stormed out to a 10-2 lead and closed on a 7-0 run. Riggs delivered a team-high 16 kills on .216 hitting, while Rosenbaum added 14 kills and 15 digs for a double-double. Wittnebel chipped in 13 kills, and Depies orchestrated the offense with 44 assists and two service aces.

Carroll's defense was equally impressive, recording 12 total blocks and 96 digs in the marathon match. McGough led all players with 28 digs, while Hicklin contributed 10 kills and solid serve-receive play. The Pioneers hit .134 as a team and held Benedictine to .035, capitalizing on 29 attack errors by the Eagles.

Carroll returns to CCIW play on Tuesday as they face MSOE in Van Male Fieldhouse at 7pm, looking to build on the momentum from its comeback victory.