The Forester volleyball team was defeated 25-21, 24-26, 25-18, 25-19 by Concordia University Chicago at home Friday night, despite sophomore Rebekkah De Kok and junior Mary Gegen combining for 29 kills.
De Kok led Lake Forest with a career-high 16 kills and posted a .400 hitting percentage on the night. With 13 kills and a team-high 14 digs, Gegen turned in her second double-double of the season and eighth in her career.
Forester senior Izzi Visnjevac, who was honored before the match for recently recording her 1,000th career dig, added 13 more to that total Friday night. Freshman setter Lilly Robinson also had 13 digs, her highest total of the season, and tallied 18 assists, two fewer than sophomore Juli Barrientos. Sophomore Riley Stapley led the team with four blocks.
The teams were tied 10 times in the opening set, the last at 12-12. A four-point run by the Cougars gave them the lead for good and they converted on their third attempt at set point. Gegen already had six kills when the teams switched sides.
Both teams had four-point leads early in set two. Four straight points for Concordia Chicago tied the score at 15 and a four-point run by the Foresters a few minutes later game them a 23-21 advantage. Lake Forest led 24-22, lost the next two points, and then closed out the set with kills by junior Grace Franz and De Kok.
The Foresters led the third set 7-6 before an 11-4 run by the Cougars gave them a six-point edge. The home team got no closer than four points the rest of the way.
Concordia Chicago never trailed in the fourth and final set. Lake Forest trailed 21-13 before winning six of eight points to pull to within three. The Cougars won the next three points, however, to take the match.
The loss dropped the Foresters' record on the season to 2-8 while Concordia Chicago improved to 4-5.
Lake Forest will play a pair of matches at Illinois Institute of Technology on Saturday. After taking on the hosts at 11:00 a.m., the Foresters will face Central College at 1:00 in the afternoon.
