The Lake Forest College volleyball team posted a 25-23, 25-19, 25-23 non-conference victory at Marian University Wednesday night. Forester junior middle blocker Brittany Avonts pounded out a match-high 12 kills, posted a .632 hitting percentage on the night, and tied a program record with 11 blocks in a three-set contest.
Avonts did not commit an attack error in 19 attempts and her 11 blocks are a career-high and tied the second-highest total in a match of any length in team history. She has now reached double figures in kills without an attack error four times this season and 15 times in her career. Avonts raised her block total for the year to 94, the 10th-highest single-season mark in program history with at least seven matches still to be played. Her career total of 240 ranks seventh in team annals.
Senior libero Brianne Honda, who surpassed 1,000 career digs on Saturday, led all players in the match on Wednesday with 20. Outside hitters Paige Jespersen, a junior, and Grace Larson, a freshman, tied for second on the team in digs and kills with 11 and seven, respectively. Sophomore setters Lexi Kleva and Tori Tinman finished the night with 14 assists apiece.
Lake Forest's 15 blocks on the night tied a school record for a three-set match and the sixth-highest total in a match of any length in team history.
The first point of the match was a kill by Avonts. The largest lead for either team in the opening set was a 21-17 Forester advantage but Marian came back and tied the score at 22 and again at 23. A kill by Larson put Lake Forest back on top and an attack error by the Sabres finished off the set.
The visitors won five of the first six points in set two and later led by as many as 10. Four straight points by Marian made the score 22-16 and the home team closed to within five at 24-19 before an Avonts kill closed out the set.
Lake Forest led the third set 15-12 before the Sabres rattled off nine straight points to take a 21-15 lead. Avonts finished off a 9-1 Forester run with four straight blocks, two with Kleva and two solos, giving the visitors a 24-22 edge. After a service error pulled Marian to within one, the contest fittingly finished the way it started – on a kill by Avonts.
The Foresters are now 6-13 and Marian 3-17 this season.
Lake Forest will resume Midwest Conference play on Saturday at Illinois College. The contest will begin at 4:00 p.m.
