Women's Volleyball | 08/22/24 | 11:00 AM

HELENA, Mont. - The Carroll College Volleyball team is back in action this week, playing three games as part of the Hells Canyon Grand Invitational, hosted by Lewis-Clark State University in Lewiston, Idaho.

The Fighting Saints (3-1) will play three games over the course of the next two days, beginning with a 2 p.m. tilt against Pacific Union College this afternoon. Friday, Carroll will face off with a pair of Cascade Collegiate Conference teams, Walla Walla and host school Lewis-Clark State to wrap up the event.

Through four games in 2024, it is clear that the Saints are in a much better spot than a year ago. Carroll is already in a position to match their win total from last season with a good showing this week in Idaho, and the vibes around the program are high.

One reason for the confidence is the continued stellar play of defensive specialist Julia Carr (Portland, Ore. / GR). The libero was awarded Frontier Conference Defensive Player of the Week honors following last weekend's season-opening event at the Big Sky Challenge in Butte. Carr was terrific, totaling 136 digs over four games. Her 9.07 digs per set currently leads the NAIA, matching a feat she finished the season with in 2023.

Rachael Stacey (Helena, Mont. / JR) made an impact in her first action after transferring to Carroll in the off-season. Her 35 total kills matches that of Lauren Heuiser (Helena, Mont. / SO), and the pair lead the team on that front entering this weekend's tournament.

Setter Hannah Schweikert (Columbia Falls, Mont. / R-JR) had a great weekend in Butte after a year of rehab on an injured leg. She returned to form from two seasons ago, leading the team in assists (120) as the primary setter.

The Pioneers of Pacific Union are Carroll's first opponent of the tournament, and the team will be a relative unknown for the Saints as they have not played a match yet in 2024. Walla Walla, Carroll's second opponent, also has yet to play an official match, while host school LC State comes in with a 2-1 record including a win over No. 17 College of Saint Mary (Neb.) in their season opener.

All three games will be live streamed on a pay-per-view basis HERE. Live Stats can also be followed for each game: Pacific Union, Walla Walla, and LC State.

Visit www.carrollathletics.com each night for a recap of the day's action, and to stay up to date with everything going on in Carroll Athletics.

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