HELENA, Mont. - The Carroll College Volleyball team had a near perfect Saturday, wrapping up the 2023 Big Sky Challenge with a pair of wins over Bushnell (Ore.) and Spring Arbor (M wich.).

The Fighting Saints (3-1) had a strong weekend showing in front of their home crowd, setting the tone for what they hope will prove to be a successful 2023 season. They picked up a pair of early-season wins on Saturday, blowing past Bushnell in a three set sweep, and finding a way to close out a spirited Spring Arbor effort in four.

CARROLL vs. BUSHNELL:

The Saints were able to control the entirety of their afternoon matchup with Bushnell, topping the Beacons in three sets (25-19, 25-21, 27-25).

Although none of the three sets could be described as lopsided, Carroll controlled the match from start to finish on their way to their second victory of the season. The Saints were the more effective team, hitting .221 as a group in the match.

Sidney Gulick (Kalispell, Mont. / SO), a member of the 2022 Frontier Conference All-Freshman team, posted a game-high 13 kills, while senior leader Mara Lynch (Bozeman, Mont. / SR) finished close behind with 11 kills of her own.

The two Laurens, (Lauren Heuiser - Helena, Mont. / FR and Lauren Sehenuk - Inglewood, Calif. - SR) each finished with four blocks.

Norah Allen (Great Falls, Mont. / FR) played well in her first substantial collegiate action, stepping in for Hannah Schweikert (Columbia Falls, Mont. / JR) who left the game with an injury.

Leah Agost posted a team-high 10 kills for the Beacons.

CARROLL vs. SPRING ARBOR:

The finale of the weekend's event was a tightly-contested showdown between Spring Arbor and the tournament host, Carroll. Saints fans would walk out of the PE Center both entertained, and excited about the result.

The Saints finished off the match in four sets (25-17, 23-25, 25-22, 25-21), capping off a great opening weekend.

Carroll cruised in the first set, but stumbled in the second, surrendering a 14-5 lead, and eventually dropping the set 25-23. A young Carroll squad would steady the ship however, closing out the final two sets to end the weekend on a high-note.

Gulick put an exclamation point on a terrific individual day, again leading all players with a game-high 17 kills, bringing her total to 30 on the day. Sehenuk was a menace at the net, stuffing attack-after-attack, finishing her evening with a game-high seven blocks.

Up next for the Saints is a recovery day, and then a quick trip to Missoula for an exhibition contest with NCAA Division I foe Montana on Monday night.

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