The Lake Forest College volleyball team defeated Monmouth College 25-21, 25-19, 23-25, 25-19 in the semifinals of the Midwest Conference Tournament at St. Norbert College on Friday. The Foresters are now 15-13 on the season and will face league champion St. Norbert in tomorrow's tournament final at 1:00 p.m.
The Forester offensive efforts were led by junior Molly McCloskey, who finished with a match-high 18 kills and just three errors in 42 attampts for a .357 hitting percentage. She also added 10 digs to register her eighth consecutive double double. Fellow junior Cori Cooper was next on the team with 17 kills and classmate Courtney Faulstick had eight kills and a season-high four aces.
Setting up McCloskey, Cooper, and Faulstick were sophomore Tori Drasler and freshman Torie Pasiewicz. Drasler's 31 assists were her highest total since tallying 46 in the season opener and Pasiewicz finished the day with 18.
Junior Tia Rupnik led Lake Forest's back row play with a team-high 24 digs. Freshman Brooke Perkins added 13 digs and Cooper 12. The entire team combined for just one receiving error in the contest.
Monmouth finished the season with a 10-19 record.
Lake Forest advances to its ninth MWC Tournament final and is one victory away from its fifth trip to the NCAA Tournament.
St. Norbert also won in four sets against Grinnell College on Friday and enters Saturday's final with a 25-7 record.
