Junior Olivia Rhodes recorded 77 assists on the day as the Forester volleyball team defeated Alverno College in three sets and host Concordia University Chicago in five on Saturday.
Rhodes finished the first match with 27 assists and added two kills, an ace, and two blocks. Senior Grace Larson led Lake Forest with 16 kills, sophomore Olivia Smith with four aces, and senior Morgen Malte with three blocks. Larson, sophomore Olivia Drevs, and senior Emily Witz tied for team-high honors with seven digs apiece.
The Foresters posted a season-best .315 hitting percentage in the contest.
Alverno won the first two points of the match but Lake Forest took eight of the next nine. The Foresters continued to pull away, rattling off seven straight points to make the score 21-8 and, after three in a row by the Inferno, winning the final four to take the set 25-11. A block by Rhodes and Malte finished it off.
The final score of set two was the same. The Foresters' lead was just five points at 15-10 before they rallied for eight in a row to take control.
Lake Forest's lead in the third set was just three at 13-10 but the Foresters dropped consecutive points just once the rest of the way. An ace by sophomore Hannah Nauert closed out the 25-17 win and the match.
After posting a .364 hitting percentage in the first contest, Larson pounded out 23 kills and hit .487 against Concordia Chicago. She also led all players with 17 digs and four aces. Drevs and Smith added 10 kills apiece and sophomore Isabel Donnelly chipped in with nine. Rhodes finished with 50 assists, the most by a Forester since Torie Pasiewicz tallied 53 in October of 2014. Witz and Smith reached double figures in digs with 15 and 10, respectively, and Malte led the visitors with three blocks.
The first set was close until a four-point run by the Cougars gave them a 19-14 advantage and they went on to take the set 25-18.
Lake Forest won the first five points of set two and led throughout. The margin eventually reached 10 points before Concordia Chicago closed to within four at 24-20. The Foresters took the next point on a service error, tying the match at one set apiece.
Four straight points early in the third set gave the home team the lead for good. The Foresters kept the score close but were unable to come back and dropped the set 25-19.
Concordia Chicago won back-to-back points just once in set four. Lake Forest led 14-9 before taking 11 of 12 points, the last on an ace by Larson, and tying the match once again.
The final set was tied seven times before kills by Larson and Rhodes gave the Foresters a 9-7 lead. With the visitors leading 13-11, kills by Smith and Larson finished off the match.
Saturday's victories raised Lake Forest's record on the season to 6-9 while Alverno fell to 2-15 and Concordia Chicago to 6-10.
The Foresters will host Trinity International University Tuesday night at 7:00.
