Senior Maxie Mottlowitz pounded out a season-high 10 kills but the Forester volleyball team was defeated 25-11, 21-25, 24-26, 25-22, 15-12 at Monmouth College on Saturday.
Mottlowitz also recorded five blocks on the afternoon and a total of 14 in two matches this weekend.
Outside hitters Grace Larson and Paige Jespersen added to their double-double tally on the year. Larson led the visitors with 14 kills and added 13 digs while Jespersen finished with 10 kills and a team-high 19 digs and three aces. Junior setter Lexi Kleva also reached double figures with 10 digs to go with her 37 assists.
The opening set was close until Monmouth won 11 of 13 points to take a commanding 19-8 lead. The home team finished off the set 25-11.
The Fighting Scots also won the first five points of set two and jumped out to a 9-2 lead. The Foresters came back and eventually tied the score at 17. After dropping one point, Lake Forest took seven of the next eight to take a 24-19 advantage. Three points later a Monmouth attack error evende the match at one set apiece.
Monmouth led 5-1 early in the third set and Lake Forest was ahead by as many as five points (14-9) later on. The visitors' lead was five again at 21-16 before the Scots came back and, after fighting off three set points, tied the score at 24. A block by Jespersen and senior Brittany Avonts followed by a Jespersen kill closed out the set.
A 7-1 run early in set four gave Monmouth an 11-7 lead but four straight points by the Foresters knotted the score at 11. The Scots regained the lead and did not relinquish it the rest of the way, reached 25 on their fourth try at set point.
Six consecutive points by Monmouth early in the final set gave the home team the lead and, after Lake Forest closed to within a point, four in a row by the Scots made the score 13-8. The teams traded points the rest of the way and Monmouth took the match three sets to two.
The loss leaves Lake Forest with an overall record of 6-15 and a Midwest Conference mark of 2-6. Monmouth is now 7-16 overall and 2-5 in the league.
The Foresters will play their final conference match against visiting Beloit College on Tuesday. The Senior Night contest will begin at 7:00 p.m.
