MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – The Carleton volleyball team dropped a mid-week matchup with Augsburg University 3-1 Wednesday night at Si Melby Hall.  The Knights fall to 11-10 overall and 2-5 in the MIAC.
 
After missing the last two matches with an injury, senior Kerrigan Candra was welcomed back to the lineup with a kill to open the scoring in the match.  The point gave Carleton the early 1-0 lead, but it would serve as one of the few bright spots for the Knights in the early going, as Augsburg jumped out to a 17-5 lead and didn't look back on the way to a 25-12 opening set win.
 
The Knights found their groove in the second set to even the match in a tightly-contested win.  Though the Auggies jumped out to an early 7-2 lead, Carleton fought back.  Four straight points for the Knights pulled the visitors back within one (7-6) and the hunt was on.  Later in the set, the Auggies used another four-point run to take a 15-10 advantage.  That lead was down to three (22-19) when a 4-1 run for the Knights tied the set 23-23.  The run was capped off by a kill from Candra and gave the Knights the spark they needed to take the set.  Though Augsburg scored to take a 24-23 lead, Carleton scored the final three points of the set to even the match with a 26-24 win in the second frame.
 
 Carleton held the upper hand through the early portion of the third set, this time exerting a slight 11-9 edge to open the frame.  But a 10-3 Augsburg run turned the momentum and gave the host an arms-length lead at 19-14.  The Auggies led by as many as six (24-18) down the stretch before capturing the third set 25-20 and taking the 2-1 advantage in the match. 
 
With its back against the wall, Carleton came storming out of the gate in the fourth set.  The Knights jumped out to an early 6-2 lead behind a pair of Candra kills and another from sophomore Rachel Bingham.  Leading 7-3 two points later, it was Augsburg's turn to mount a response.  It came in the form of another 10-3 run that flipped the advantage back to the home team (13-10).  The Auggies clung to a one-point lead six points later (15-14) before ticking off six unanswered points to build a 21-14 lead and put the pressure on the Knights, who would not go quietly.
 
The Knights came all the way back to tie the set 23-23 thanks to a 9-2 run when they needed it most.  The Maize and Blue got kills from three different players in the run to take back the momentum.  A kill for the Auggies gave the home team the lead back, but the Knights answered right back with a kill from first-year Ellewyn Swafford.  A kill for Augsburg was negated when the ensuing serve went astray and the score was tied again 25-25.  But consecutive kills by Augsburg's Bri Van Well stamped the match final with a 27-25 win in set four to take the match 3-1 for the host Auggies. 
 
Candra led the way for the Knights in her return with 14 kills and hit .306 on the night.  Bingham and junior Sylvia Dixon followed with 10 kills apiece, while Swafford posted six blocks.  Sophomore setter Megan Smith operated the Carleton attack with 34 assists to go along with 10 digs for her fifth double-double in the last six matches.  Junior Ella Curtis-Revelle led the way defensively for the Knights with 13 digs. 
 
Up Next for the Knights
Carleton will be back in action on Saturday night when the Knights head to St. Paul for an MIAC showdown with Hamline University at Hutton Arena.  That match is set for a 7pm start.