GOSHEN, Ind. – For the second straight match, the Maple Leafs women's volleyball team took a set against a conference opponent. However, Grace still pulled through to win in Goshen on Saturday, 3-1.
 
"We are improving daily," said head coach Kourtney Crawford after the match, "but we are far from satisfied. The day that we are on offensively and defensively will be such an awesome match to watch."
 
The Lancers had dominated the Leafs 25-13 and 25-17 in the first two sets before Goshen won the third, 25-23. Then Grace answered with a 25-19 win in the fourth. Goshen had more blocks than Grace – with a solo block coming from Sadie Brenneman and multiple block assists coming from Brenna Spangler, Amy Baca, Emily Lynch, Iva Miletic, and Kia Knox-Dawkins. The Leafs also had seven aces, the second-highest total in a match this season.
 
"As a collective unit, we have improved in many ways," said Crawford. "It is fun to see the things we work on in practice translate in the matches."
 
Emily Lynch had another great match – recording double-digit kills for the fifth time in her last six matches. On Saturday, she totaled 16 kills, her second-highest number this season. She only had two errors on 29 attempts and had a hitting percentage of .483. "[Emily] knows that eight kills are now her minimum, and our team looks to her to score," Crawford noted. "That girl goes into every match with a goal, and she is not happy when she doesn't meet it. She is resilient and has the determination to be the absolute best version of herself she can be."
 
Brenneman and Christina Towne both had double-digit digs, and Gwyn Bellamy had nine in her first appearance since September 21. Sydney Stutsman had 18 assists and Jaelyn Amhdar added 11.
 
Goshen is at Saint Francis on Wednesday, October 5, at 7:00 pm. The Cougars are receiving votes in the NAIA coaches' poll.