NEW ULM, Minn. – On a night that featured the Knights against the Knights, the Carleton College volleyball team showed its might, rallying from down two sets-to-none in order to best host Martin Luther College by scores of 22-25, 23-25, 26-24, 28-26, and 15-8.
 
Coach Jacki Smith praised her team after the performance, commenting that "It takes a lot of grit to be down 2-0 and come back and win in five and that's what we've been focusing on as a team recently. I'm super proud of our team's resilience and heart to never quit tonight."
 
After dropping the first two sets, during neither of which either team held a lead of more than five points, Carleton (4-12, 0-3 MIAC) sat on the brink of elimination near the close of a back-and-forth third set that featured a whopping 16 ties and five lead changes. Neither side led by more than two points during the entire frame, and the set came down to the wire with the score tied at 23-23. Thanks to a kill each from Grace Perret (Fy./Green Bay, Wis./Preble) and Annelise Sokolow (So./Draper, Utah/Juan Diego Catholic), Carleton managed to take three of the next 4 points, putting themselves on the board, 26-24, and igniting their comeback.
 
Carleton jumped out to a 4-0 advantage to begin the fourth set, but Martin Luther (4-8, 3-0 UMAC) quickly took back the lead with a 7-2 run. Carleton recovered with an extended run of its own, putting the visitors up 15-12. Carleton led 23-19, but the hosts responded with a mini 6-1 burst to take a 25-24 lead. Facing match point, Carleton turned to Jancyn Appel (Jr./Kansas City, Mo./The Pembroke Hill School), who recorded kills on three of Carleton's last four points to claim the set, 28-26, and sent the match to a decisive fifth frame.
 
Another fast start for Carleton put them in front 8-2 in the fifth set; the six-point advantage represented the largest lead for either team up until that point on the night. The visitors were able to carry this surge of momentum to a 15-8, match-clinching win. The victory snapped Carleton's seven-match slide.
 
Carleton hit .232 as a team while the defense limited Martin Luther to a .141 clip.
 
Sokolow finished with a career-best 18 kills and added 11 digs for a double-double as she registered a .410 attack percentage. Appel was close behind with 16 kills, six blocks, and a .406 hitting percentage. Grace de Benedetti (Sr./San Francisco, Calif./San Francisco University) and Perret, also racked up 10 kills apiece. Kennedy Bombei (Fy./Solon, Iowa/Solon) led the team in digs, with 16.
 
Inger Shelton (Sr./San Diego, Calif./La Jolla) put up another stellar performance from the setter position, finishing with a career-best 53 assists to go along with nine digs and four kills.
 
Kelsey Birchbach led the way for Martin Luther with 15 kills and seven digs.
 
Up Next for the Knights:
Carleton returns to the West Gym, and MIAC conference play, when the Knights take on Gustavus Adolphus College at 7:00 PM on Friday, Oct. 1.