NORTHFIELD, Minn. – After winning the first set, the Cardinal volleyball team could not hold on to win Saturday afternoon against Carleton.
 
The Cardinals traded first set points before starting a small rally with kills from Brenna Bruchert, Gretchen Bredberg, and Grace King right away. Lindsey Rossow added a service ace to take the one-point lead 9-8. Neither team could pull away from a lead larger than two the entire set until it mattered most. The Cardinals, looking to steal the first set finished with a 9-4 rally that got going after two attack errors for the Knights and a kill from Kali Olson and Bruchert to take the one set lead.
 
After tallying the first two points of the second set, the Cardinals gave up the next seven points to the Knights. Paige Klug nailed a kill to get the Cardinals back on track and Olson and Bruchert added to the rally in attempt to cut the 14-7 lead. The Cardinals only lead of the set came from the first two points in second set loss.
 
Klug opened the third set with two service aces to bring the energy back to the Cardinals and rallied behind two attack errors from the Knights but the Knights shut it down fast going on a six to nothing run to tie the game at eights. King, Klug, and Bredberg added kills to their night to take the lead 15-14. After two Knight errors and a kill from Alison Wu, the Cardinals built their biggest lead since the first set with three, 17-14. The Knights forced errors late for the Cardinals as they end up dropping the third set and fall by a set.
 
In a must win set, Olson and King got on the board quick to tie the fourth at fives. A seven to nothing run for the Knights hurt the Cardinals as the win quickly seemed hard to reach with a score of 17-10. Wu and Olson got back into the match with two kills but the Knights responded once more and the late run not enough as the Cardinals drop set four in loss to Carleton.
 
Kinlee Grattan and Clemens each recorded 17 assists in the loss.
 
The Cardinals will travel to Whitewater, Wisconsin to play in the UW-Whitewater Invite playing two non-conference games Friday and Saturday.