ARDEN HILLS, Minn. – The Carleton volleyball team saw its four-match win streak snapped on Friday night, dropping a pair of matches to Bethel (3-2) and Carroll (3-1) on the opening day of the Bethel Invitational at Robertson Center. The Knights move to 6-4 on the season and will be back in action again on Saturday.
Match 1 – Carleton 2, Bethel 3
The Knights set the tone early, jumping out to an 8-4 lead in a tightly contested opening set that featured eight ties and seven lead changes. Trailing 24-23 late, Carleton responded by scoring the final three points of the set, including a service ace from sophomore Cleo Garten to erase set point and claim a 26-24 victory. In set two, Bethel answered back. The Knights never led in the frame, despite mounting a late 4-0 run behind a service ace and a kill from senior Rachel Bingham to pull within 22-20, but the Royals held on for a 25-22 set win.
Carleton dominated the third set with an efficient .419 attack percentage. The Knights exploded for a seven-point run early in the frame—highlighted by blocks from senior Jennifer Bricker and Bingham—to build a commanding 10-2 cushion. The lead grew to as large as 11 points (17-6) before sophomore Ella Goolsby capped off the frame with a kill from senior setter Megan Smith to secure the 25-19 win and a 2-1 match lead. However, Bethel took control in the fourth frame, constructing a key 6-0 spurt mid-set to extend an 11-6 advantage and eventually finish with the final five points to force a winner-take-all fifth set with a 25-17 decision.
The deciding fifth set saw six ties and two lead changes. Down 9-6, Carleton used a three-point surge behind a Bingham kill to knot the set at 9-9. However, Bethel answered with a decisive 5-1 run down the stretch to pull away and take the final set 15-11.
Bingham paced the Carleton offense with a match-high 23 kills while recording 15 digs for a double-double. First-year Alexis Ormsby also reached double figures with 14 kills. Smith orchestrated the attack with 47 assists and contributed 16 digs on defense for her fifth consecutive double-double and seventh of the season. Junior libero Madeleine Dimitre anchored the back row with a match-high 24 digs and added three service aces.
Match 2 – Carleton 1, Carroll 3
Carroll gained early momentum in the opening set of the second match of the day behind an efficient attack and dynamic serve game. The Pioneers built a steady lead before Carleton orchestrated a late 5-0 surge thanks in large part to a pair of kills from sophomore Sami Torresin to take its first lead of the frame (17-15). However, with the Knights leading 20-19, Carroll responded down the stretch, using a 6-0 closing sequence to secure a 25-20 victory.
The Pioneers maintained their rhythm in set two, scoring the first four points and not looking back. Carleton hung close behind a 3-0 run highlighted by a Megan Smith service ace, bringing the Knights within 12-9. Carroll answered with a 5-1 run to open up a 22-15 lead before closing out the 25-17 set win.
Carleton fought back in a thrilling third set that featured 10 ties and four lead changes. The Knights found their offensive groove, hitting .341 as a squad. After leading 21-19 late in the stanza, Carleton found itself trailing 22-21 after a quick three-point burst for the Pioneers. But the Knights rattled off consecutive points via a kill from Rachel Bingham and a forced Carroll error to regain the lead 23-22. After Carroll fended off set point, back-to-back kills from junior Ellewyn Swafford sealed the tight 26-24 victory for the Knights.
The Pioneers seized control early in the fourth frame. Trailing 9-5, Carroll constructed a 9-2 scoring run the flipped the script and give the Pioneers a 14-11 lead. Carleton worked to stay within striking distance behind kills from sophomore Aditi Mukhirala, but Carroll closed the set on a 10-1 run and hit a blistering .481 in the frame to close out the match with a 25-15 win.
Swafford was the only Carleton hitter to reach double figures with a team-high 13 kills, while Mukhirala and Jennifer Bricker contributed nine kills apiece. Smith posted a match-high 33 assists while adding eight digs. Defensively, Bingham led the effort with a team-best 17 digs, complemented by Madeleine Dimitre's 14 digs and Mukhirala's 11 digs.
Up Next for the Knights
Carleton will be back on the court tomorrow at 10:00 am when the Knights take on Bethany Lutheran College in their final match of the Bethel Invitational in Arden Hills.
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