Carthage 3, (RV) Lawrence 2
Carthage 3, St. Norbert 0
DE PERE - The Carthage women's volleyball team opened the St. Norbert Chick-Fil-A Invitational with a pair of victories Friday, defeating Lawrence in five sets, 18-25, 25-16, 24-26, 25-12, 15-13, before sweeping host St. Norbert, 25-20, 25-16, 25-21, at the Mulva Family Fitness & Sports Center.
The Firebirds (6-3) combined for 108 kills across the two matches, hitting .231 against Lawrence and .240 against St. Norbert. Carthage also recorded 18 blocks and 18 service aces on the day.
VS LAWRENCE
SET 1: Lawrence came out strong offensively, hitting .417 in the opening set. Carthage stayed within striking distance throughout the early stages before the Vikings used a late run to take control. Lawrence eventually closed out the first set, 25-18.
SET 2: The Firebirds responded immediately, opening the second set with a 3-1 advantage before building a nine-point lead at 15-6. Carthage maintained its momentum throughout the remainder of the set, using kills from
Emma Crow,
Ava Dettwiler and
Hailey Wierzgac to even the match with a 25-16 victory.
SET 3: The third set featured a back-and-forth battle, with neither team able to gain significant separation. Carthage held a 20-17 advantage late, but Lawrence rallied to tie the set at 24-24 before taking the final two points to win, 26-24.
SET 4: Carthage responded with its most dominant set of the match. The Firebirds built an early advantage and extended it to 16-7 before pulling away. Carthage closed the set, 25-12, forcing a decisive fifth set.
SET 5: The deciding set remained tight from start to finish. Carthage held a 9-7 lead before Lawrence pulled even at 9-9. The Firebirds regained control behind kills from Dettwiler and
Mina Reichert, eventually earning match point at 14-13 before closing out the five-set victory, 15-13.
VS ST. NORBERT
SET 1: Carthage and St. Norbert traded points early before the Firebirds began to establish separation. Carthage took a 13-9 lead, and after the Green Knights pulled within two, the Firebirds continued to apply pressure.
Kristina Manojlovic helped Carthage close the opening set with a strong serving run, including three consecutive service aces, as the Firebirds claimed a 25-20 victory.
SET 2: The Firebirds took control early, racing to a 9-1 advantage behind strong serving from
Grace Wenthold and a series of kills from Crow. Carthage continued to extend its lead before finishing the set, 25-16.
SET 3: Carthage again jumped in front early, building a 6-4 lead before a four-point run pushed the advantage to 10-4. The Green Knights battled back to make it a three-point set late, but Carthage responded with another push to take a 23-17 lead. St. Norbert rallied to within three, but Manojlovic's kill closed out the sweep, 25-21.
Against Lawrence, Dettwiler paced the Firebirds with 18 kills and 31 assists, while reaching 1,000 career assists during the match. Manojlovic added 15 kills, while Crow finished with 14 and Wierzgac contributed 10. Reichert posted 10 kills and 19 digs, while Walsh tallied 25 assists and 11 digs. Lawrence entered the match having received votes in the latest AVCA Division III Top 25 poll.
Carthage followed with a strong defensive effort against St. Norbert, holding the Green Knights to .160 hitting. Manojlovic led the Firebirds with 14 kills, while Dettwiler added seven kills and 18 assists. Crow finished with nine kills, and Wierzgac recorded four kills and four blocks..
"What a great battle on the road tonight against Lawrence!" said Head Coach Leanne Ulmer. "Very good, well coached team! I am really proud of the way we handled ourselves after giving up a big lead in set 3. It was a great team effort with some big time plays. Ava [Dettwiler] and Mina [Reichert] were all over the place making clutch plays. Our liberos Grace [Wenthold] and Ava McTeague did a nice job. Tough to get right back on the court after an emotional victory but we responded well and were able to hold off the home team in 3. Emma [Crow], Hailey [Wierzgac] and Tina [Manojlovic] were outstanding. A quick turnaround tomorrow with a 10 a.m. match."
Carthage will continue play at the St. Norbert Chick-Fil-A Invitational tomorrow, facing Westminster (Mo.) at 10 a.m. before taking on Ripon at 3 p.m. For more information, visit athletics.carthage.edu.
