NORTHFIELD, Minn. – The Carleton College volleyball team got off to a slow start and dropped its conference opener to visiting St. Catherine University, 3-1. Junior Kelly Lovett (Portland, Ore./Lincoln) led the Knights with an all-around effort including 11 kills, 10 digs and three blocks.
Trailing 11-8 in the opening set, the Knights surrendered the next six points and ultimately fell 25-13.
Carleton regrouped after hitting -.062 in the opening set, posting a .252 attack percentage the remainder of the match.
The second set went back and forth as neither team led by more than three points. Trailing 24-22, a kill by Sarah Halls (Sr./Edina, Minn.) sparked the Knights to a four-point rally as they evened the match by a 26-24 score. Halls finished the contest with eight kills.
St. Kate’s middle hitter Maria Hoffman, who started the night needing seven kills to reach 1,000 for her career, reached that milestone on the first point of the third set. The Wildcats extended the lead to 10-2, and the Knights were unable to recover.
In the final set, Lovett brought Carleton within three points at 20-17 with her third ace of the match, but the Wildcats were able to close out the match by a 25-20 tally.
Hoffman had a match-high 14 kills and added 10 digs. Two of her teammates, Megan Ahlbrecht and Racquel Reker also achieved double digits in kills.
Beth Jarrett (Jr./Mounds View, Minn./Irondale) handed out 32 assists to pace the Knights’ offense.
Senior libero Laura Barsness (Lakeville, Minn./Lakeville North), who surpassed 1,500 career digs last Saturday versus Wisconsin-River Falls, added 24 more to her career total tonight.
Carleton will participate in the Macalester Invitational this weekend. The Knights will play Grinnell College on Friday night followed by matches against the University of Dubuque and Oklahoma Wesleyan on Saturday.
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