Sophomore Hannah Hornacek pounded out a career-high 14 kills but the Lake Forest College volleyball team was defeated 25-19, 19-25, 25-18, 25-23 at Beloit College Tuesday night.
Hornacek's previous career-high for kills was six and was set more than a year ago and her next best output in that category this season is five. She also had just three attack errors in 31 attempts on Tuesday for a .355 hitting percentage.
Freshman Olivia Grimmer led all players in the contest with a career-high 17 kills and finished the match with a season-best .389 hitting percentage. Freshman setter Hannah Nauert tallied 36 assists on the evening and was one of three Foresters in double figures in digs with 10. Freshman Olivia Drevs led the squad with 15 digs and junior libero Grace Larson added 14.
Beloit won the first four points of the match but Lake Forest pulled back to within one at 5-4 and again at 8-7. The set remained close until, with the home team nursing just a two-point lead at 21-19, the Buccaneers finished it off with a four-point run.
Set two was tied eight times, the last after another four-point run by Beloit made the score 16-16. The Foresters closed it out with a 9-3 run with Grimmer kills acounting for four of the team's final five points.
With the third set tied at one, the Buccaneers rattled off five points in a row to take the lead for good. Lake Forest closed to within one three times early in the set but could get no closer. A five-point run by the Bucs made the score 20-13 and the home team finished off the set with back-to-back kills.
Lake Forest trailed for the vast majority of the fourth and final set but by no more than three points. The Foresters' only lead came at 18-17 but Beloit won the next three points to regain the advantage. Down 23-20, the visitors pulled back to within one on a kill by Grimmer and ace by Nauert, but the Bucs took two of the next three points and the match.
The Foresters are now 11-14 overall this season and, at 3-5 in Midwest Conference play, they have been eliminated from contention for a spot in the four-team MWC Tournament. Beloit improved to 8-15 overall and is also now 3-5 in the league.
Lake Forest will close out the season at Ripon College Friday night at 7:00.
