ARDEN HILLS, Minn. – The Carleton volleyball team went on the road and fell to Bethel University 3-0 on Saturday night at Robertson Center.  With the loss, the Knights drop to 4-10 overall and 1-2 in the MIAC on the season.
 
Bethel never trailed in the first set.  After scoring the opening point of the frame, the Royals jumped out to an early 5-2 lead.  Carleton battled back to come within one (5-4) before Bethel crawled out to a 10-6 advantage. After the Knights scored to make it 10-7, the Royals rattled off eight straight points to open up an 18-7 lead and put the set out of reach on the way to a 25-13 win.
 
 Carleton came out fighting in the second set.  The Knights opened the frame's scoring and grabbed a quick 6-4 lead in the early going.  A 5-1 run for the Royals gave the home team a 9-7 advantage before the Knights regained the serve to pull back within one (9-8).  But for the second consecutive set, it was a massive run for the Royals that broke it open.  This time, it was a 12-1 run that cracked open a 21-9 lead and put the second out of reach for the Knights with a 25-12 final.
 
Trailing 5-3 in the third set, the Knights scored three straight points to take a 6-5 lead.  A 7-2 run gave the Royals a 12-8 lead, but Carleton hung around.  Three points later, the lead was three for Bethel (13-10) before a 5-1 spurt expanded that lead to seven (18-11).  The Knights responded with three straight points to climb within four points (18-14), but it was as close as they would come the rest of the way in a 25-18 set three final score.
 
For the match, Bethel hit .333 as a team compared to just .114 for Carleton.  The Royals also took advantage of 13 services aces in the three-set final. 
 
Sophomore Sylvia Dixon paced the Knights with seven kills, while Isabel Macia and Megan Smith registered nine assists each.  Katelyn Harder tallied eight digs and Kerrigan Candra followed with seven.
 
Up Next for the Knights
The Knights will head back on the road Wednesday when they travel to Winona for an MIAC contest against Saint Mary's.  That match is set for a 7:00pm start.