<rleton College volleyball team (19-5), seeded No. 5 in the 2007 MIAC Volleyball Playoffs, had their championship ambitions shattered on Tuesday, as they traveled to Bethel University to face the No. 4 Royals (23-7) in an opening round playoff game and were promptly dispatched by the higher seed, 3-0 (17-30, 28-30, and 27-30). Two of Carleton’s five losses on the season have now come at the hands of the Royals. Specifically, those losses have come at the hands of the Royal front line, who’s defense held the Knights hitters to a season low .063 attack percentage. The Knights kept it close early in the first game, but the Royals used a 17-7 run to close out game one 30-17. The second game was a back and forth affair with five lead changes and twelve ties, and was tied at 26-26, but the Knights were unable to break through and fell 30-28, severely limiting their chances of winning the match. Bethel built an early lead in game three, and held off a late Carleton rally to sweep the Knights out of the Robertson Center and back to Northfield. In the match, only Knights captain Samantha Hendricks ’08 was able to muster any success above the net, leading the Knights with 10 kills and hitting at a .214 attack percentage. Fellow captain Heather LaChapelle ’08 led the Knights with 26 assists, and Laura Barsness ’10 had a team-high 15 digs. With the loss, the Knights have placed their Division III NCAA Volleyball Tournament chances in the hands of the selection committee, which will decide if the Knights play this season has merited an at-large bid. The ladies certainly have a good chance to make the tournament, with a No. 22 national ranking, but have only gone 4-4 over their last eight games.
LaChapelle and Annie Eckhoff ’10 were named to the 2007 MIAC All-Conference Team, the first such honor for both. Sophomore Laura Barsness was one of three defensive players of the year for the conference.
