The Carthage women’s volleyball team suffered a four‑set defeat to the Elmhurst Bluejays on Wednesday night at Tarble Arena in Kenosha. The final scoreline read 25-20, 23-25, 30-28, 25-20, leaving Carthage at 15-12 overall and 4-4 in College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) competition.
Match Overview
Elmhurst opened the match strong, taking the first set 25-20 after building an early 12-7 lead. Carthage fought back, with a kill from Ava Dettwiler narrowing the gap to 14-12, and subsequent kills from Kristina Manojlovic and Mina Reichert keeping the Firebirds competitive. However, Elmhurst held firm to close the set.
The Firebirds responded in the second set, erasing a 3-0 deficit and using a four‑point run to lead 9-7. The teams traded points to a 23-23 tie before Dettwiler delivered a decisive kill, followed by Macy Wente’s set‑winning hit off an assist from Della Walsh, giving Carthage a 25-23 set win.
The third set proved the longest of the night, extending to 30-28 in favor of Elmhurst. After falling behind early, the Bluejays rallied to tie the score at 14-14 on a kill by Grace Wenthold. Manojlovic’s multiple late‑set kills helped Carthage force extra points, but Elmhurst ultimately secured the final two points to take a 2-1 match lead.
Elmhurst closed out the match with a 25-20 fourth‑set victory. The Bluejays led 14-11 at the midpoint, and kills from Wente, Emma Crow, and Taylor Baratta kept Carthage within reach. Baratta pulled the Firebirds to within four points at 24-20, but Elmhurst captured the final point to complete the win.
Individual Performances
Kristina Manojlovic led Carthage with 20 kills and added eight digs. Ava Dettwiler contributed 11 kills on a .308 hitting percentage, along with 28 assists and 10 digs. Defender Hannah Wierzgac recorded seven kills on a .385 hitting percentage and led the team with five total blocks. Della Walsh posted 21 assists and five digs, while Mina Reichert added nine digs. Macy Wente finished with nine kills, and Emma Crow contributed six.
As a team, Carthage tallied 64 kills, one service ace, and eight total blocks while hitting .228. Elmhurst posted a .317 team hitting percentage, with 61 kills, four service aces, and 13 total blocks.
Looking Ahead
Carthage returns to action on Saturday with a regular‑season finale against Concordia Wisconsin in Mequon. The first serve is scheduled for 1 p.m. Following that match, the Firebirds will turn their focus to the CCIW Women’s Volleyball Tournament, which begins Tuesday, Nov. 10. Additional details are available on the Carthage athletics website.
Original reporting: Kenosha.com — read the source article.
