Carthage 3, Lake Forest 0 (25-15, 25-16, 25-16)
Carthage 3, Aurora 1 (23-25, 25-16, 25-18, 25-20)
LAKE FOREST, Ill. – The Carthage women's volleyball team picked up two wins on Saturday at the Lake Forest Invitational, sweeping the host Foresters 3-0 in the morning match before rallying for a 3-1 victory over Aurora in the afternoon. With the two wins, the Firebirds improve to 5-1 on the season.
VS LAKE FOREST
Carthage jumped out quickly in the opening set with kills from
Madilyn Danielson and
Emma Crow to establish a lead. A service run from
Tatum Kebisek that included an ace extended the advantage to 14-8.
Kristina Manojlovic took control late with back-to-back kills, and a service ace from
Cassidy Stahl closed out a 25-15 win.
In the second, Katie Boston and Hailey Wierzgac sparked the Firebirds at the net, while Jenna Damon delivered a service ace to make it 12-8. Ava Dettwiler guided the offense with precise setting, connecting with Boston and Manojlovic to push the lead into double digits. Manojlovic finished the frame with a kill to secure the 25-16 win.
The Firebirds maintained their momentum in the third, using another service run from Kebisek to build an early cushion. Carthage's defense limited the Foresters to just seven kills in the set, while Danielson and Wierzgac combined for a series of key points. Danielson's kill at set point sealed a 25-16 finish and the sweep.
VS AURORA
Aurora took the first set 25-23 in a back-and-forth battle, capitalizing on late Firebird miscues to grab the lead. Carthage regrouped quickly, jumping out to an early 9-3 lead in the second behind kills from Manojlovic and Dettwiler. Damon steadied the back row with several key digs, and Boston capped the set with a kill to even the match with a 25-16 victory.
The third set was all Carthage, as the Firebirds hit .389 as a team. Dettwiler set the tone with a pair of service aces during a 6-0 run, while Manojlovic and Danielson provided balance at the net. Wierzgac added a block to halt an Aurora rally, and the Firebirds pulled away for a 25-18 win.
In the fourth, Aurora pushed back early, but Carthage rallied behind Dettwiler's setting and a string of kills from Manojlovic. Kebisek added a service ace to extend the lead to 20-16, and Danielson closed the door with a kill on match point as the Firebirds secured the 25-20 win and the 3-1 victory.
"Picked up two really nice team wins today," said Head Coach Leanne Ulmer. "Got our first sweep of the season against a young Lake Forest team. Aurora is always a tough, well coached regional opponent. After they won the first set I was really proud of how we responded to take the next 3. Kristina Manojlovic and Ava Dettwiler had a day. Both led us in kills and hit over .400. Ava Dettwiler was also our assist leader with 34. Tatum Kebisek also chipped in 28 assists and helped our team hit .320 on the day. Jenna Damon was stellar at libero notching 20 digs in the Aurora match. I thought our serving improved as the match went on and our middles and RS did a nice job on the block. Now we get to prepare for 3 tough opponents at our home tournament Friday and Saturday!"
The Firebirds (5-1) return to action on Friday, Sept. 12 as the squad takes on Wis-Platteville in Tarble Arena at 7 p.m. as part of the 2025 Carthage Invite. The Invite is slated to feature Carthage, Wis-Platteville, Colorado College, and Concordia (Wis.) For more information, visit athletics.carthage.edu.
