KENOSHA, Wis. - The Carthage College women's volleyball team (9-1, 0-0 College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin), ranked 8th in the Sept. 15 AVCA poll, is spending the weekend of Sept. 18-19 by hosting the "2015 Carthage Women's Volleyball Invitational" in Kenosha, Wis.  The Lady Reds opened play on Friday, Sept. 18 against Bethel University (Minn.) (9-4) in a 4 p.m. match at Tarble Arena.
 
Carthage and Bethel went to battle quick, answering each other swiftly throughout the first part of the set. Down 8-10, the Lady Reds needed to make a move quick. They went on a 6-point run, making the score 14-10 in favor of Carthage. The Lady Reds kept the lead and won the first set 25-19.
 
Bethel took the lead quickly in the second set, going up on the Lady Reds 6-3. Carthage came back quickly and tied the game at 6-6. Both teams would make short runs on each other throughout the set. In the end, Carthage would gain the lead, and hold on to win the second set 25-20.
 
The third set would not go as well for the Lady Reds as they had hoped. Although the Lady Reds were able to take the lead a few times throughout the match, they were unable to slow down their opponent. Bethel won the third set with a score of 25-21.
 
Carthage was not willing to let this match slip away from them. The Lady Reds quickly took control of the fourth set and would not allow Bethel to take the lead at any point of the set. Carthage took the fourth set 25-13, securing the 3-1 win over Bethel University (25-19, 25-20, 21-25, 25-13).
 
Emily Heuermann would record 19 kills in the match, with Stefanie Romanowski making 9 blocks, Karen Chin earning 52 assists and Luci Krenzke completing 14 digs. Bria Hailey, Mallory Parsons and Rachael Kisten all recorded two aces each in the match. As a team, the Lady Reds recorded 65 kills, seven aces, 10 blocks, 62 assists, 62 digs and hit .312.
 
In their second match of the day, the Lady Reds took on the No. 5 UW-Stevens Point Pointers (10-2) in an 8 p.m. match up. In the match prior, the University of Chicago issued the pointers their first loss of the 2015 season.
 
After an outstanding effort by both teams with a close score throughout the set, UW-Stevens Point pulled away and took the first set 25-21. As both teams went into the second set, there was a feeling of excitement and adrenaline on the court in Tarble Arena.
 
The Lady Reds started the second set with a 6-0 run on the pointers with Chin serving. Carthage kept the lead throughout the entire set, only allowing to let the Pointers get as close as a 2-point deficit with the score at 9-7 in favor of the Lady Reds. Carthage would go on to win the set 25-20, which tied the match 1-1.
 
In the third set, both teams started off strong going point-for-point over the first few minutes of the set. Carthage was able to go on yet another 6-point run to put themselves up 10-4. Carthage continued their dominance and won the set 25-19 with a kill from Romanowski, extending their lead 2-1 on the match.
 
The Lady Reds appeared to face more of a challenge in set number four as UW-Stevens Point took charge immediately. After going point-for-point with the Lady Reds, the Pointers went on a 7-point run to go up 10-3. Although the Lady Reds would have a 4-point run to take the set from 6-14 to 10-14, they would not be able to capture the reigns to take control of the set. The 18-25 loss to the Pointers would force a fifth set, a set which would prove to be one of the most exciting sets so far in the 2015 season.
 
Carthage took an early lead, going up 2-0 on the Pointers. After an attack error by Stephanie Korbakes that would earn the Pointers their first point of the set, the Lady Reds responded with great motivation and determination, taking their lead to 6-2. The Pointers would close in and force Carthage to take a timeout with the score at 7-6, in favor of the Lady Reds. After the time out, Hailey and Chin would make a strong statement with an amazing block on Gabby Thomas, which put the Lady Reds up 8-6.
 
The set continued to be extremely close and competitive, and UW-Stevens Point would come back to tie the game at 13-13. The Pointers would take a 14-13 lead after a kill by their own Emma Brunkhorst. The Lady Reds would not be silenced in this game, as Korbakes made a kill with an assist from Chin, making the score 14-14. A service error from Korbakes would put the Lady Reds down 14-15, but they quickly responded with a kill by Jaime Dickinson making the score 15-15. UW-Stevens Point's Thomas would then make an attack error which put the Lady Reds in the lead with their first match point at 16-15.
 
The Pointers were not willing to be silenced quite yet, and caught a break as Dickinson made a service error. The game was tied at 16-16, and the Lady Reds would take charge for the rest of the game. On a ball from Chin, Heuermann made an outstanding kill that put the Lady Reds up 17-16. To secure the 18-16 win for the Lady Reds, Thomas would make an attack error, and Carthage would win the match 3-2 (21-25, 25-20, 25-19, 18-25, 18-16).  
 
Heuermann put up a season-high 27 kills in the match, with Dickinson and Korbakes following at 12 and 11 kills, respectively. Chin also earned a season-high for herself, earning 59 assists in the match. Krenzke, Chin and Parsons also contributed season-high numbers in the digs category. Krenzke recorded 24 digs, with Chin and parson both earning 18 digs in the match. As a team, Carthage made 68 kills, two aces, 11 blocks, 66 assists, 97 digs and hit .211 in the match.
 
On Saturday, Sept. 19 the Lady Reds will face the No. 25 Dominican University Stars (Ill.) (8-2) at Noon and the Carroll University Pioneers (Wis.) (3-8) at 4 p.m.