WAUKESHA, Wis. - Carroll University women's volleyball opened CCIW play Wednesday night at Van Male Fieldhouse, battling No. 4 Illinois Wesleyan University in a competitive four-set match. The Pioneers took the second set and pushed the Titans to the wire in the third before falling 3-1 (16-25, 27-25, 23-25, 16-25).
Illinois Wesleyan came out strong in the opening set, recording 14 kills on a .344 hitting percentage to take a 25-16 victory. Carroll responded in the second, going back-and-forth with the fourth-ranked Titans in a set that featured 11 ties and seven lead changes. The Pioneers came out on top of the hard-fought set, 27-25, evening the match at one set apiece.
The third set remained tightly contested, with five ties and three lead changes. Carroll recorded 12 kills and hit .190 in the frame, but Illinois Wesleyan held off the Pioneers late to earn a narrow 25-23 victory and regain the match lead.
Carroll continued to battle in the fourth, but Illinois Wesleyan was able to create the separation it needed to close out the match. The Titans recorded 12 kills and hit .278 in the final set, taking the frame 25-16 to secure the four-set victory.
Audrey Rosenbaum led the Carroll attack with a match-high 14 kills while adding eight digs and a block. Lexi Proctor put together another strong all-around performance, finishing with 10 kills on a .348 hitting percentage, 10 assists, 12 digs and three solo blocks. Carly Hicklin added eight kills and 16 digs, while Samantha Miserendino led the Pioneers defensively with 21 digs and two service aces.
The Pioneers return to the court on Saturday, September 26, when they travel to Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, to compete in the Marian Triangular. The two matches begin at 2:30 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. against Aurora University and Marian University, respectively.
