Carthage College Athletics

The Carthage College women’s volleyball team (21-3, 5-0 College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin), ranked sixth in the Oct. 13 American Volleyball Coaches Association NCAA Division III poll, went 3-1 at the Friday-Saturday, Oct. 16-17 Wisconsin-Oshkosh “Titan Tussle” at the Kolf Sports Center in Oshkosh, Wis.  On Friday, Oct. 16, No. 9 the University of St. Thomas (Minn., 18-5) outlasted Carthage, 3-2, before the Lady Reds swept Lakeland College (15-7), 3-0.  The Tommies’ winning set scores were 17-25, 25-23, 25-22, 24-26 and 15-12, while Carthage’s winning scores over Lakeland were 25-13, 25-8 and 25-22.  On Saturday, Oct. 17, Carthage defeated No. 24 Eastern University (19-4), 3-1, before defeating Luther College (17-9), 3-1.  The Lady Reds’ winning set scores over Eastern were 25-18, 23-25, 25-15, 25-8, and their winning scores over the Norse were 25-21, 25-27, 25-21 and 25-19.  

Lauren Dembkowski (So., Mount Prospect, Ill./Arlington Heights-Hersey) had 13 kills and Cindy Cavanagh (So., Naperville, Ill./Aurora-Waubonsie Valley) 11 in the Lady Reds’ 3-2 loss to No. 9 the University of St. Thomas (Minn.) on Oct. 16 at the Wisconsin-Oshkosh “Titan Tussle.” Dembkowski had eight kills in a 3-0 sweep of Lakeland College, also on Oct. 17. She had 17 kills and hit .424 in a 3-1 decision over No. 24 Eastern University on Oct. 17 and a career-high 19 kills with a .370 attack percentage in Carthage’s 3-1 victory over Luther College, also on Oct. 17. Both Dembkowski and Katie Lundgren (Sr., Long Grove, Ill./Lincolnshire-Stevenson) were named to the all-tournament team. Dembkowski averaged 3.56 kills per set in the tournament with a .246 attack percentage, while Lundgren averaged 6.69 digs per set. 

Carthage plays its final regular-season home match on Tuesday, Oct. 20 by entertaining CCIW-opponent Illinois Wesleyan University (16-12, 4-1 CCIW) in a 7 p.m. match at Tarble Arena in Kenosha, Wis.