Carthage 3, Greenville 0 (25-14, 25-16, 25-13)
No. 4 Wis-Whitewater 3, Carthage 2 (25-19, 14-25, 21-25, 25-16, 15-10)
WHITEWATER, Wis. - The Carthage women's volleyball team competed in the Whitewater Triangular on Saturday against Greenville and No. 4 Wis-Whitewater. After a quick 3-0 sweep against Greenville, the Firebirds battled the nationally ranked host before coming up short in a five-set match. It was a special day for the Firebirds, as junior
Kristina Manojlovic eclipsed the 1,000 kills milestone for her career.Â
VS GREENVILLE
Carthage set the tone early, jumping out to a 10-4 lead in the opening frame behind back-to-back aces from Jenna Damon and a pair of kills from Kristina Manojlovic. The Firebirds maintained their momentum throughout, closing the set on a 5-1 run capped by a Katie Boston and Emma Crow block to take it 25-14.
The Firebirds stayed sharp in the second, using a 6-1 surge midway through the set to break a 7-7 tie. Manojlovic and Ava Dettwiler each contributed multiple kills in the stretch, while Tatum Kebisek added a service ace to push the lead to 19-12. Carthage continued to apply pressure from the service line, sealing the set 25-16.
Carthage wasted no time finishing the sweep, jumping out to a 10-4 advantage in the third and dominating at the net. Dettwiler and Crow each tallied key kills down the stretch, while the Firebirds' front line—anchored by Boston and Tessa Davison—combined for four team blocks to close out the match 25-13.
VS No. 4 WIS-WHITEWATER
Carthage found their rhythm in the second set after dropping the opener 25-19. Manojlovic sparked the offense with four early kills as the Firebirds jumped out to a 10-4 lead. Emma Crow and Hailey Wierzgac each contributed at the net, and Carthage closed the frame on a 6-0 run highlighted by a service ace from Damon to win 25-14.
The Firebirds carried their momentum into the third, using steady defense and strong setting from Dettwiler and Tatum Kebisek to take the set 25-21. Manojlovic continued to pace the offense with six kills in the frame, while the front line combined for four blocks.
Whitewater answered in the fourth, capitalizing on Carthage attack errors to pull away late, 25-16, before edging out the Firebirds in a back-and-forth fifth set, 15-10.
Combined Stats:
"Got off to a good start in the match against Greenville," said Head Coach Leanne Ulmer. "Tina [Manojlovic], Ava [Dettwiler], and Emma [Crow] had a strong offensive performance. Jenna [Damon] had some great floor defense and a strong serving game. Against the home team
UW Whitewater we got off to a slow start but then rallied to win the next two sets. As good as we were offensively and blocking in sets 2 and 3 we struggled to maintain it in set 4 and 5. It was a tough 5 set loss. Tina was a bright spot all day, with 37 kills on the day and getting her 1,000th kill midway through the 2nd match. Emma, Katie [Boston] and Hailey [Wierzgac] did a great job blocking and Jenna continued a strong digging and serving performance. Big week next week playing Wheaton at home and Elmhurst on the road."
The Firebirds (16-9) return to Tarble Arena on Wednesday, Oct. 22 as the Firebirds host Wheaton (Ill.) at 7 p.m. For more information, visit athletics.carthage.edu.
