ROCKFORD, Ill. - The Rockford University women's volleyball team (1-3) was unable to overcome the Knox College Prairie Fire (3-2) in non-conference action Wednesday night. It was a hot start for the Regents as they grabbed the first set, but would go on to lose the next 3 sets, including a late 4th set nail-biter that would give Knox the win. 



First Set

• The Regents would hop out to an early lead at 10-5, helped along with 2 service aces from Nicole Eggers and Jessica Witkowski.
• They would stay in control, pushing to an 18-9 lead due to multiple attack errors on the Prairie Fire side.
• But the Prairie Fire would stoke their way back into it at 19-15.
• A service ace by Della Crain would be part of a 3 point spree to get the Regents to 2 points from taking the first set.
• Knox College would only get 3 more points before the Regents would close the door on the opening set, with a final score of 25-19.

Second Set

• It was a dreadful second set as the Prairie Fire would work the score to 16-7, piling on streaks of points.
• The Regents would do their best to claw their way back in, but unfortunately Knox College would take the second set with a couple of final kills, leaving the score at 25-16.

Third Set

• The Regents were looking to bounce back and try to take a 2-1 set lead, starting off strong, winning 6-2.
• Both sides would trade points back and forth, including aces from Nicole Eggers and Brynn Atwell to put the score at 12-8, Regents lead.
• The balance would remain, bringing the score to 21-18, the last of those points being an ace by Jasmine Landberg, her first of the season.
• But it would be all Prairie Fire from then on, burning the Rockford defense with 7 straight points, 6 of them kills, to take the third set and a 2-1 lead, 25-21.

Fourth Set

• Knox College would kick off the fourth set in front, owning an 11-5 lead.
• Della Crain and others would get some decent kills, trying to keep pace with the opposition, the score at 15-11.
• At 19-14 the Regents would start a 7 point comeback to take the lead late in the set, Brynn Atwell with two more aces on that run. The score sat at 21-19.
• Sitting with a 22-20 lead late, the Regents were ready to force round 5, but 5 straight Knox points, 3 of them kills by Catessa Duran, would prove fatal as the Regents would drop the 4th set to leave the score at 25-22.
• While the score board did not show it at 3-1, a very strong battle from both sides saw every set up for grabs, three of them going to Knox, and one to Rockford.

• Della Crain led the kills line with 14 on the day.
• Brynn Atwell held down the back line with 18 digs to lead the team totals. She also led the team in aces with 4 on the night.
• Jessica Witkowski was the teams assists leader with 35. 

RU women's volleyball will have a very short break as they will then head on the road to Mount Mary University for a pair of Friday games against Mount Mary and Maranatha Baptist at 1 and 3PM. They will then return home next week for the start of conference play against Illinois Tech at 7PM.