Mankato, MN - The Martin Luther College volleyball team left Bethany with a 3-1 win on Tuesday evening in an away contest with the Vikings. The Knights had a healthy advantage in kills 56-32 in their four-set victory. MLC notched their third consecutive win over the Vikings, as they swept the season series in 2023, with both matches coming down to the wire, resulting in a 3-1 (Sep. 19) and 3-2 (Oct. 10) win. 

The only set that MLC dropped on Tuesday was the opening, in which they cut the score to 21-19 after a Lydia Feidt kill and an Anna Kieselhorst service ace. However, the Vikings rattled off four unanswered points to grab the first set 25-19.

That would be all Bethany would get though as MLC put together an impressive 25-16 win in the second set, where they separated in the kills department, gaining the 16-5 edge in the set.

The Knights followed that up by fighting off a Bethany comeback attempt after leading 20-14. Feidt finished off the set with a thunderous kill for the 25-22 advantage that gave MLC the 2-1 lead with a chance to close it out in the fourth set.

MLC was successful in closing out the match and did so by topping the Vikings 25-22 again. Lauren Paulsen put the Knights up 24-20 after a kill and they officially secured their first conference win of the season following a Bethany attack error.

Paulsen tied a season-high in kills (16) and also led the Knights in digs with 25. Anna Kieselhorst was right along with her in digs, recording 24. Grace Kieselhorst finished second on the team in both kills (14) and assists (21), as Ella Walz paced MLC with 26 assists. Meanwhile, Ella Schlei had the best hitting percentage of the evening for the Knights, picking up nine kills on .333 clip.

MLC (4-11, 1-1) continues UMAC competition on Saturday when they play a home doubleheader against North Central at 1 p.m. and Northwestern at 5 p.m.