NORTHFIELD, Minn. -- The Carleton College volleyball team notched its first two wins of the season, sweeping both Buena Vista University and Martin Luther College, 3-0, on day two at the St. Olaf/Carleton Invitational. Junior Kelly Lovett (Portland, Ore./Lincoln) was named to the all-tournament team after leading the Knights with 42 kills on the weekend.
Against Buena Vista, the Knights totaled a .400 attack percentage in winning the opening game and benefited from the Beavers -.024 hitting percentage for the match.
Kyla Walter (Jr./Aspen, Colo.) added nine kills with seniors Annie Eckoff (Northfield, Minn.) and Sarah Halls (Edina, Minn.) each collecting six kills.
Setter Beth Jarrett (Mounds View, Minn./Irondale) handed out 31 assists, while libero Laura Barsness (Sr./Lakeville, Minn./Lakeville North) paced the balanced defense with 18 digs.
In the second match of the day, the Knights started a little slow, but picked up the attack as the contest progressed.
After hitting only .057 in the opening set, Carleton hit at a .344 clip the rest of the way. Lovett had six of her nine kills in the second set, and Halls had five of her seven kills in the clinching set.
Other statistical leaders from the Martin Luther match include Jarrett with 24 assists, Barsness with another 18-dig performance. The Knights also had nine blocks, with rookie Jessa Youso (Virginia, Minn.) figuring in five of them.
“Overall I though it was a great weekend,” said head coach Heidi Jaynes. “I’m pleased with how we played overall. It was nice to see our upperclassmen step up and play some new roles on the team. Beth did a great job running our offense. Laura and Erin did a fantastic job of cleaning up the back row. We’ve still got some things to work on this week, but we’re looking forward to our tournament next weekend.”
The Knights will travel to St. Peter, Minn. for the Gustavus Classic on Friday and Saturday, Sept. 11-12.
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