Box Score MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – After falling behind two sets to none, the Carleton volleyball team came all the way back to secure a thrilling five-set win over North Central University Tuesday night at Clark-Danielson Gymnasium. 
 
North Central came out ready to defend its home court early in the first set on Tuesday night.  The Rams jumped out to an early 8-4 lead.  Seven points later, the lead had grown to five (12-7) before the Knights rattled off five straight points to tie the score at 12.  The run was capped by a pair of kills from Jennifer Bricker and a service ace by Annelise Sokolow.  But the Rams responded with a 6-1 run to open up their second five-point lead of the opening set.  That proved to be the difference as North Central expanded its lead to seven (22-15) and eventually hung on for a 25-20 first set win.
 
The Rams kept the momentum and rolled to a 4-1 lead in the early going of set two.  The lead was 6-3 when the Knights exploded to score seven straight points, highlighted by a pair of aces from Megan Smith (Fy., Salem, Ore./Sprague).  The spurt gave Carleton a 10-6 lead, but the Rams had a pair of runs left up their sleeve.  North Central used a 7-2 run and later a 6-1 run to take a 22-18 lead late in the frame.  But the Knights came roaring back.  A 6-1 run of their own gave the Maize and Blue a 24-23 advantage and serving for set point.  However, it was not to be, as North Central used a kill and back-to-back aces to capture a 26-24 win in the second set and take a 2-0 lead in the match.
 
With their backs against the wall, the Knights came out to take control of the third set early and never looked back.  Carleton never trailed in the set, scoring the first three points of the frame.  The Rams stayed within striking distance and hoped for their run to come, but it was the Knights who used an 8-4 spurt to secure their largest lead of the set (21-14) and create the breathing room they needed, as they hung on for the 25-22 win in set three.
 
Both teams settled into a battle in set four.  In a frame that featured nine ties and three lead changes, each team stretched out a lead.  The Rams were the first to take the advantage.  After Carleton tied the set at 11-11, North Central scored four quick points to take a 15-11 lead midway through the frame.  The edge did not last long, as a 12-3 run for the Knights proved to be the defining moment of the set.  Veterans Kerrigan Candra and Sylvia Dixon came through with three kills each in the run to give Carleton its largest lead of the set 23-18.  The lead created the necessary breathing room as the Knights took the 25-21 win to even the match 2-2.
 
In the deciding set, North Central jumped out to a 9-5 lead and captured the momentum. With the hosts needing just six more points, the odds were stacked against the Maize and Blue.  But on Wednesday night, the Knights displayed courage in a defining comeback.  Candra, Dixon, and Rachel Bingham all registered a pair of kills down the stretch as Carleton finished the fifth set on a commanding 10-3 run to come from behind and seal both the set and the match.  
 
Candra led the way for the Knights with a 18-kill, 14-dig double-double.  Dixon followed with 13 kills on just 25 attacks and hit a blistering .480 on the night. Smith and Isabel Macia both tallied double-figure assists with 24 and 16, respectively.  Katelyn Harder put up a match-high 23 digs as five Knights finished in double figures.
 
Up Next for the Knights
Carleton will be back in action on Saturday night when the Knights travel to Arden Hills, Minn., for an MIAC showdown with Bethel University.  That match is set for a 7:00pm start.