CHICAGO, Ill. – The Carleton volleyball team split a pair of five-set thrillers to close out opening weekend at the Rosalie Resch Invitational Saturday.  The Knights defeated Alma before falling to host University of Chicago.
 
Match 1 – Carleton 3, Alma 2
 
Saturday's first match opened with an early 7-3 advantage for the Knights.  Senior Kerrigan Candra led the way in the early going with four kills in the first seven points.  Carleton kept the four-point advantage to build a 14-10 lead before Alma scored five straight points to take a 15-14 lead midway through the opening frame.  Later with the scored tied 22-22, the Scots scored the final three points of the set to take it 25-22. 
 
Alma kept rolling in the second set, jumping out to a 5-1 lead, but the Knights clawed right back, eventually taking an 18-15 lead.  Six straight points all but put the set away for Carleton, as the Maize and Blue took a 24-15 lead.  Alma scored once more, but a service error on the ensuing serve stamped the set final 25-16.
 
The Scots once again controlled the early going of the third set, scoring the first four points.  But again, the Knights came right back to tie the set 8-8.  Carleton later opened up a three-point lead (14-11) following four straight points.  After Alma tied the set again 14-14, the two teams settled into a stalemate, eventually leading to a 23-23 tie.  Needing to create some separation, the Knights scored the final two points of the set to take the third and a 2-1 match lead.
 
It was Carleton's turn to control the early portion of a set in the fourth.  The Knights jumped out to a 7-3 advantage and pushed forward to a 13-8 lead before the Scots mustered a big response.  Alma scored 14 straight points to open up a 22-13 advantage before ultimately taking the set 25-18 and forcing a fifth set.
 
Alma scored the first three points of the final frame before the Knights came back to tie the score.  The Scots then held a 6-5 lead when Carleton took control with a seven-point spurt to take a 12-6 lead.  A pair of service aces from junior Sylvia Dixon highlighted the run, which all but sealed the deal for the Knights, who took the final set 15-11.
 
For the match, the Knights racked up 58 kills with a .247 hitting percentage compared to 50 kills on .209 hitting for Alma.  Kerrigan Candra nearly notched a double-double with 14 kills and nine digs.  Sophomores Rachel Bingham and Kate Wiczynski followed in double-figure kills with 11 each.  Sylvia Dixon tallied a career-high six service aces, while junior Isabel Macia and sophomore Megan Smith put up 21 assists apiece.  Ella Curtis-Revelle was the defensive star for the Knights with 15 digs.
 
Match 2 – Carleton 2, Chicago 3
 
After the Knights scored the opening point of their second match of the day, the host school University of Chicago came back to score three straight points and open up a 3-1 lead.  Carleton later put together a string of six straight points to take a 9-4 lead.  Seven straight scores later in the set opened up a commanding 17-8 led for the Knights.  Four different Carleton players registered a kill in the run, as the Maize and Blue would not relinquish the lead for the remainder of the set, eventually taking it 25-13.
 
Chicago controlled the early part of the second set, opening up a 7-3 lead.  The Knights came back to tie the score 13-13, but scored just four of the final 16 points of the set to give the Maroons the 25-17 win in the second frame.
 
Another early lead for Chicago opened the third set, this time a 6-2 advantage.  The Maroons led 11-9 when the Knights used another huge run to open up a lead of their own.  Carleton blitzed the host with a 10-1 run that included three service aces and gave the Knights a 19-12 edge.  Chicago came roaring back, climbing to within one point (22-21), but Carleton closed the set scoring three of the final four points to take the frame 25-22.
 
Carleton built off the momentum from the third set and jumped out to a 10-5 lead in the fourth, but this time it was Chicago's turn to utilize a big run.  Trailing 15-11, the Maroons scored six straight points to take a 17-15 lead they would not give up on the way to a 25-19 win and another fifth set for the Knights.
 
In the final frame, the Maroons got out to an 8-6 lead before five straight points all but sealed it for the home team.  The final score of the fifth set was 15-9, sealing the 3-2 victory for Chicago.
 
The Maroons flexed a 57-37 kill advantage in the win.  Chicago hit .270 compared to .161 for Carleton.  The Knights held the edge in aces (15-11) and blocks (9-7).  Rachel Bingham led the way offensively with nine kills.  Dixon racked up four more aces, while sophomore Jennifer Bricker tallied a career-high eight blocks.  Megan Smith (18) and Isabel Macia (13) both registered double-figure assists.
 
Up Next for the Knights
Carleton will next travel to Mankato in the middle of the week for a 7pm showdown with Bethany Lutheran College on Wednesday.