Carleton Match Statistics

NORTHFIELD, Minn.-- For the second consecutive season Concordia traveled to Carleton nationally ranked and looking to gain a spot at the top of the MIAC, and for the second straight year the Cobbers lost in a five-game thriller.

Concordia, ranked 16h in the latest AVCA poll, traded games with the 13th-ranked Knights before Carleton came away with a 15-12 win in the fifth, and deciding, game. Last year Concordia entered the game ranked 14th and lost in the fifth game 15-13.

The Cobbers will be hoping that the season plays out as it did in 2004. Last year, Concordia went on to finish second in the regular season to Carleton and then claim the MIAC tournament title, and the automatic NCAA bid, by beating the Knights.

The youthful Cobbers of 2005 lost the first game 30-21, and it looked as if Carleton would post a three-game sweep in the same fashion that St. Thomas had recorded in Concordia's first match of the 2005 MIAC season.

Game one saw the Knights reel off seven consecutive points, making a 10-7 game into a 16-7 lead. The Cobbers pulled with two at 17-15 ona Jill Hance ace, but the Knights broke loose from 20-17 on a Danielle Hargreaves kill and two Cobber errors. Kills from Hargreaves, Jessica Black and Libby Ritz closed out game one.

Game two was tight throughout with eight ties. Leading 27-25, the Cobbers got a Kristen Hokenstad kill shot before an Aliva Bryan kill and Cobber error made the margin 28-27. It was tied at 28-28 after another Cobber error, but a Michelle Honek kill and Carleton error put game two in Concordia's column.

In game three the Knights raced to an early 10-4 lead and built a 14-10 advantage into a 24-12 bulge. Black closed out the final two points of the game for the Knights with kill shots.

It looked as if Carleton would close out the match in game four. Leading 6-4, the Cobbers watched as the Knights reeled off seven consecutive points as Ritz had three kills and Hargreaves two in the string. Trailing 17-12 the Cobbers used a run of their own, eventually catching and passing the Knights at 18-17. Carleton momentarily stemmed the tide, but the Cobbers were in the groove and got a big block from Mackenzie Close and Linsay Simpa to lead 28-24 and forced a game five on a Close kill shot.

In the final game, Carleton took three of four points after the two teams were tied at 3-3, and used that gap to push Concordia to the defeat. The Cobbers narrowed the margin to 10-9 and then 13-12 but the Knights closed out the match with a kill and an attack error.

The story of the match was the career-night that Carleton junior Hargreaves produced. She recorded a match-high 25 kills to go along with 23 digs.

Concordia was led by junior All-American Becca Shane. Shane finished with 15 kills and a match-high seven blocks. She regularly foiled Carleton's attempts to attack through the middle of the court.

Two freshmen were the only other Cobbers to record double-digit kill totals. The ever-improving Kristen Hokenstad recorded 14 kills. She was joined by Danielle Norby. The freshman from Windom, Minn. had 11 kills and four blocks.

Alyssa Dahl took control of the Concordia offense and had a team-high 31 assists.

Anna Walden and Michelle Honek did the majority of the back-row defense for Concordia. Walden amassed a match-high 34 digs and Honek chipped in 24.

The Cobbers will turn around and play at St. Mary's on Saturday at 3:00pm. Concordia will hope to change recent history. In the past two seasons, Concordia has lost both matches of their only back-to-back MIAC road doubleheader of the season.