Katie Hurta put up 23 kills on .409 hitting for Elmhurst University women's volleyball on Wednesday, Nov. 4. That clinched a CCIW Tournament berth.
The Bluejays beat Carthage College 3-1 in Kenosha, Wisconsin, improving to 15-11 overall and 4-3 in conference play, according to Elmhurst University Athletics.
Hurta, a 6-foot-1 graduate student and outside hitter who previously played at Clemson University, carried the offense. In an Oct. 21 home win over Augustana College, she recorded 17 kills and a .378 hitting percentage, The Leader reported.
Against Carthage, the rest of the lineup backed her up.
Setter Freddie Temple ran the attack with 46 assists and eight digs. Tzvetomira Tchohadjieva added nine kills. Maggie Cross contributed eight kills and a match-high eight block assists. On defense, Elayna Ammerman led with 24 digs and Aubrey LeCleir added 11.
The team hit .317 as a group, finishing with 61 kills and 17 errors in 139 attempts.
Set-by-set
Elmhurst took the first set 25-20. Carthage (15-12, 4-4 CCIW) answered with a 25-23 win in the second. The third set went to extra points before the Bluejays pulled it out 30-28. Elmhurst closed the match with a 25-20 fourth set.
That 30-28 third set was the turning point. Carthage had evened the match and had momentum, but the Bluejays held on in a set that required 58 combined points.
What's next
Elmhurst returns to R.A. Faganel Hall on Friday, Nov. 6, to host North Central College. First serve is set for 7 p.m. The match is listed as Edison Elementary Night on the Bluejays' schedule.
The CCIW Tournament begins Nov. 10, with matchups and sites still to be determined.
