Elmhurst 3, Carthage 1
KENOSHA, Wis. - The Carthage women's volleyball team fell to Elmhurst in four sets on Wednesday night at Tarble Arena, dropping a 25-20, 23-25, 30-28, 25-20 decision in College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) play. The Firebirds moved to 15-12 overall and 4-4 in conference play.
Carthage battled back to even the match with a second-set victory before falling in a tightly contested third set that extended to extra points. The Firebirds finished with 64 kills and hit .228 as a team, but Elmhurst used a .317 hitting percentage to secure the road victory.
Set 1: Elmhurst took the opening set, 25-20. The Bluejays built an early advantage, taking a 12-7 lead before Carthage began to chip away. The Firebirds pulled within two at 14-12 following a kill from Ava Dettwiler and continued to battle behind kills from Kristina Manojlovic and Mina Reichert. Elmhurst maintained its advantage down the stretch, closing out the set 25-20.
Set 2: Carthage evened the match with a 25-23 victory. The Firebirds overcame an early 3-0 deficit and used a four-point run to take a 9-7 lead. The teams traded points throughout the middle of the set, eventually reaching a 23-23 tie. Dettwiler recorded a kill to put Carthage ahead before Macy Wente delivered the set-winning kill off an assist from Della Walsh.
Set 3: Elmhurst outlasted Carthage, 30-28, in an extended third set. The Firebirds faced an early deficit before rallying to tie the score at 14-14 following a kill from Grace Wenthold. Carthage continued to battle, with Manojlovic recording multiple kills late in the set to help force extra points. The teams traded points through several ties, including a 28-28 deadlock, before Elmhurst recorded the final two points to take a 2-1 match advantage.
Set 4: Elmhurst closed out the match with a 25-20 win. The Bluejays established an early lead and built a 14-11 advantage midway through the set. Carthage continued to fight, with kills from Wente, Emma Crow and Taylor Baratta helping the Firebirds stay within reach. Carthage pulled within four at 24-20 following a kill from Baratta, but Elmhurst recorded the final point to secure the four-set victory.
Elmhurst hit .317 as a team and finished with 61 kills, four service aces and 13 total blocks. Carthage hit .228 and recorded 64 kills, one service ace and eight total blocks.
Manojlovic led the Firebirds with 20 kills and eight digs. Dettwiler added 11 kills while hitting .308, along with 28 assists and 10 digs. Wierzgac contributed seven kills while hitting .385 and led Carthage with five total blocks. Walsh recorded 21 assists and five digs, while Reichert added nine digs. Wente finished with nine kills, and Crow contributed six kills.
The Firebirds return to action on Saturday to conclude the regular season against Concordia Wis. in Mequon, Wis. Action begins at 1 p.m. Following the match with the Falcons, Carthage will look ahead to the CCIW Women's Volleyball Tournament beginning Tuesday, Nov. 10. For more information, visit athletics.carthage.edu.
