WHEATON, Ill. – The Carthage College Lady Reds did their part Tuesday night at Wheaton College, cruising to a win over the Thunder in three sets, 3-0.
 
The win improves the Lady Reds 18-8 overall and to 7-0 in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin, setting Carthage up for a winner take all season finale next Tuesday for the CCIW regular season title and the right to host the 2018 CCIW Women's Volleyball Championship.  The loss drops the Thunder to 11-16 overall and 0-6 in the conference.
 
Ellie LeCount paces the Lady Reds offensive attack in the win, as the junior setter dished out 30 assists in the three-setter and added six kills, two off her career-high, and had an attack percentage of .429.  The highest by a Lady Reds in the win.  Linda Morton led the Lady Reds in kills with 13 and a .391 attack on 23 total attacks, while Megan Behrendt, the reigning CCIW Offensive Player of the Week, finished with ten kills.
 
The Lady Reds picked on the Thunder all night from the service line, as Carthage cracked off 11 aces in the win to just three for Wheaton.  Freshman Megan Dawrant had a career-high and match-high four aces from the backline, followed by Abigail McGowan with three and Laura de Rosales with a pair.
 
The junior libero, de Rosales, also led Carthage in digs in the win, collecting 14 of the team's 53 in the win, with Shannon Kebisek and LeCount each finishing with 13.  Behrendt and Kaite Laio led the defense in the front, each registering a pair of blocks.
 
Next up the Lady Reds will travel to the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point for a triangular on Saturday, beginning with UW-La Crosse at noon followed by a match with the Pointers at 2:00 p.m.  After that, the Lady Reds will return to Tarble Arena for senior night and a showdown with #14 Illinois Wesleyan University.  The matchup will feature the last-two undefeated team in CCIW-play with the winner earning the outright regular season title and the right to host the conference tournament.  First serve on Tuesday is set for 7:00 p.m.