ROCK ISLAND, Ill. – An extremely efficient Carthage team left no doubt about its lofty national ranking in a College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin battle with Augustana on Tuesday, October 23 in the Carver Center. The Lady Reds, ranked fourth in the latest NCAA Division III national poll, defeated Head Coach Kelly Bethke's Vikings 3-0 (25-13; 25-23; 25-14) behind an offense that hit .350 for the night. The visitors collected 46 kills against just 10 hitting errors in 103 total attempts.
 
In the first set Carthage jumped out to an early 10-4 lead and was never really headed en route to a 25-13 win. The second set was much closer with Augustana holding a 20-18 lead late in the action after a kill from senior Brooke Harmon (Lindbergh HS, St. Louis, Mo.) off an assist from sophomore Olivia Doak (Crystal Lake Central HS, Crystal Lake, Ill.). Carthage tied it with two points and then the Vikings went ahead 21-20 off a kill by junior Savana Sparks (Maroa-Forsyth HS, Maroa, Ill.). The Lady Reds tied it on a service error at 21-21 and eventually went on to win the second set 25-23.
 
Set number three was not in doubt much as Carthage jumped in front 8-1 and was never headed as the Lady Reds moved their record to a glossy 23-3 overall and 7-0 in the CCIW. Augustana fell to 11-14 overall and 4-4 in conference play.
 
Senior Grace Bialobok (Homewood-Flossmoor HS, Homewood, Ill.) led the Vikings in kills with 11 while Harmon was next with seven. Freshman Abby Phalen (Mendota HS, Mendota, Ill.) picked up four kills. Doak had 27 assists while junior Jessica Nguyen (Kaneland HS, Elburn, Ill.) led the team in digs with 15 and Sparks added 13.
 
Augustana will be in action again on Friday, October 25 against Washington in a match played in Bloomington, Illinois.