The Lake Forest College volleyball team split a pair of four-set matches at the Forester Invitational on Friday, falling 25-22, 25-23, 19-25, 25-23 to Milwaukee School of Engineering before defeating Greenville College 25-23, 25-22, 20-25, 25-22. Junior outside hitter Paige Jespersen led the home team in kills and digs in each match and now has three double-doubles in as many contests this season.
Jespersen's 13 kills and career-high 20 digs led all players in the Foresters' loss to MSOE. Sophomore right side hitter Natalie Olson was next on the team with eight kills while senior libero Brianne Honda and sophomore setter Lori Tinman also reached double figures with 15 and 10 digs, repsectively. Sophomore setter Lexi Kleva tallied 22 assists and Tinman had 17. Both setters served up a pair of aces. Olson led the Foresters with four blocks.
Lake Forest led MSOE by as many as eight points early in the opening set and had a 21-17 lead late. However, the Raiders won eight of the next nine points to take the set.
The visitors led by as many as five points early in the second set but the Foresters came back and eventually took a 15-12 advantage. The score was tied at 20 before back-to-back points by the Raiders gave them the lead for good. The teams alternated points for the rest of the set.
After losing the first point of set three, Lake Forest won the next four and led the rest of the way. The home team extended its advantage to as many as seven points (22-15) late and finished off the set.
Set four was tied nine times, the last at 19-19. Trailing 24-20, the Foresters fought off three match points before finally falling.
All four of Lake Forest's sets against Greenville were also close. A six-point Forester lead in the first set completely disappeared when the score was tied at 19. However, a kill by Olson and two by freshman outside hitter Grace Larson started a 5-0 run that brought the Foresters to set point. The Panthers fought back, however, winning the next four points to pull to within one. Lake Forest took the next point and the set.
There were a dozen ties and seven lead changes in set two. The last of each occurred just after Greenville took a 21-20 lead. Lake Forest won five of the next six points, including the clincher on a kill by senior right side hitter Bailey Everhart, to take the set.
The last of 11 ties in the third set was at 20-20 but the Panthers rattled off five straight points to force a fourth set.
The score of set four was tied for the eighth and final time at 11-11. Lake Forest won five of the next six points and led by at least three until Greenville fought off a couple of match points to make the score 24-22. Everhart then pounded out a kill to close out another set and secure the victory.
Jespersen and Larson tied for the team lead with 14 kills apiece and Jespersen led the Foresters with 16 digs, one more than Honda. Tinman also reached double figures with 13 digs and her 19 assists edged out Tinman by one for the team lead. Junior middle blocked Brittany Avonts finished with seven kills and seven blocks in the contest.
The Foresters are now 2-1 this season while a pair of wins on Friday made MSOE 4-0 and two Greenville losses dropped the Panthers' record to 1-4.
Lake Forest will take on the University of Wisconsin-River Falls, who won twice on Friday, Saturday morning at 10:00 and Marian University, who lost twice, at 2:00 p.m.
