Arden Hills, Minn. – Carroll University women's volleyball opened the Bethel Invite with a split Friday at the Robertson Center. The Pioneers saw their three-match winning streak come to an end with a 3-0 loss to UW-Stevens Point before bouncing back with a 3-1 victory over Carleton College. Carroll finished the opening day with an 8-4 overall record.
UW-Stevens Point 3, Carroll 0 (25-22, 27-25, 25-18)
Carroll battled UW-Stevens Point throughout the opening two sets, but the Pointers weren't able to make the decisive plays late. After the teams traded points early in the first, Stevens Point used a seven-point run to turn a 5-5 tie into an 11-5 advantage. The Pioneers continued to battle and eventually pulled within one late in the set, but Stevens Point held on for a 25-22 victory.
The Pioneers responded in a back-and-forth second set. Carroll used a six-point run to erase an early deficit and later built a 19-17 advantage. Stevens Point answered with a run of its own before the Pioneers fought off set point and eventually pulled even at 25. The Pointers captured the final two points, however, taking the set 27-25 and a 2-0 match advantage.
Stevens Point carried the momentum into the third set, creating separation early and preventing Carroll from mounting a comeback. Carroll finished the match with 36 kills and nine service aces.
Audrey Rosenbaum and Carly Hicklin led the Pioneer attack with 10 kills apiece. Rosenbaum hit .296, while Hicklin added four service aces and seven digs. Samantha Miserendino recorded a team-high 10 digs, while Payton Depies finished with 15 assists and eight digs.
Carroll 3, Carleton 1 (25-20, 25-17, 24-26, 25-15)
Carroll quickly bounced back in Friday's second match, taking the opening two sets against Carleton. The first frame remained tight throughout, with neither side able to create much separation. With the score tied at 20, the Pioneers took control, scoring the final five points of the set to earn a 25-20 victory.
Carroll carried that momentum into the second, opening the set with four straight points. The Pioneers remained in front throughout the frame and pulled away late, taking five of the final seven points to secure a 25-17 victory to go up 2-0.
Carleton refused to go quietly in the third. Neither team was able to gain much separation in a tightly contested frame, and Carroll eventually took a 24-23 advantage with an opportunity to complete the sweep. The Knights responded by scoring the final three points to steal the set 26-24 and extend the match.
The Pioneers left little doubt in the fourth. At 15-14, Carroll rattled off seven consecutive points to take a commanding 22-14 advantage. The Pioneers closed out the set 25-15 to secure the four-set victory.
Lexi Proctor turned in an outstanding all-around performance, finishing with a match-high 16 kills without an attack error on 35 attempts for a .457 hitting percentage. She also recorded 21 assists, 10 digs, three service aces and four total blocks. Rosenbaum added 14 kills, 15 digs and three aces, while Hicklin finished with 12 kills on a .313 hitting percentage. Miserendino added 15 digs, and Ashley Miller recorded 20 assists and three service aces.
Carroll faces a quick turnaround Saturday morning as the Pioneers return to action at the Bethel Invite against tournament host Bethel University. First serve is scheduled for 10 a.m.
