NORTHFIELD, Minn. - The Carleton volleyball team earned its first home victory on Wednesday night at West Gym, defeating Crown College in four sets. The win improves the Knights record to 3-9 on the year. 
 
The first set opened with each team putting together consecutive-point runs out to an 11-8 advantage for the Knights. The back-and-forth continued until a kill from Jancyn Appel (Sr./Kansas City, Mo./The Pembroke Hill School) put the Knights up 14-11, and sparked a 6-0 run that resulted in a 19-11 lead. From there, they continued to put on the heat, and scored the final four points of the opening frame to finish off the set 25-14. 
 
Carleton struggled to open up the second set, and fell behind 7-1, prompting a timeout. From there, Crown continued to give the Knights trouble, going up 14-3 and forcing another timeout for the Knights. But Carleton battled back and found itself within a striking distance near the end of the set. A clutch kill from Kerrigan Candra (So./Joliet, Ill./Plainfield Central) capped a 5-1 run and put the Knights within three points (18-21), causing Crown to take its own timeout. Continued pressure from the Blue and Gold resulted in a 6-2 run and tied the set at 24 apiece. The two teams traded points, but a pair of service errors proved costly for the Knights, ultimately giving Crown the set 28-26. 
 
In the third set, the teams remained close through the opening points until a kill from Annelise Sokolow (Jr./Draper, Utah/Juan Diego Catholic) put the Knights ahead (4-3), where they remained for the rest of the set. Leading 13-10, the Knights used a 6-2 run to open up a substantial 19-12 lead. Another 6-2 run was finished off by another kill from Candra as Carleton closed the third chapter with a 25-16 win. 
 
Continuing their momentum from the third set, the Knights came out strong again in the fourth. Leading 7-6, they scored five straight points, highlighted by a pair of kills each from Appel and Sokolow to improve the lead to 12-6. Holding onto their lead, the Knights forced Crown into a timeout following a service ace from Isabel Macia (Fy./Coral Gables, Fla./Divine Savior Academy) that put the Knights up 19-12 to cap off another five-point spurt. From there, Carleton pushed through and took the set 25-15, again finishing strong on a 6-2 run to secure the match 3-1. 
 
Several Knights had outstanding performances to help secure the win. Kerrigan Candra tallied 20 kills, a career high, and the most by a Knight since Abby Loe had 25 against Saint Mary's on Oct. 30, 2019.  It's also the most by a Carleton player in a four-set match since Loe tallied 23 kills against Hamline on Oct. 23, 2019. Candra also put up 12 digs on the evening.
 
Jancyn Appel also had a great night, racking up 15 kills of her own. This is the first time this season that two Knights had 15 or more kills in a match, and the first time a Carleton duo accomplished the feat since Appel (16) and Annelise Sokolow (18) did so at Martin Luther on Sept. 29, 2021. 
 
Sokolow nearly registered a double-double on Wednesday night with nine kills and 12 digs, while Isabel Macia directed the Carleton offense for all four sets and put up a career-high 51 assists.
 
Upcoming for the Knights
Carleton will hit the road to face Gustavus this Friday, September 30th. The Knights will then host a triangular this Saturday where they will face Macalester and Luther College at West Gym.