CARTERVILLE  – In quick fashion, the Lions swept the Elverado Falcons in two sets tonight, 25-10 and 25-13.

Senior Amanda Howerton started the match against the Falcons with a kill. The Falcons kept up with the Lions until Senior Erin Hunsaker served two aces in a row and served five points to make the score 20-7. After that, the Lions didn’t look back. The set ended with a kill by Howerton to win 25-10 over the Falcons. 

The second set started off with a great kill by senior Bella Mavigliano, and the Lions didn’t let the Falcons get close this time. Carterville had a 5-2 lead when senior Ally Lange and sophomore Regan Eigenrach blocked the ball creating a bigger gap. This kept the set out of reach for the Falcons. 

The Lions stayed ahead the rest of the night. A timeout was called by the Falcons at 24-9 and, after that, the Falcons mounted a minor comeback. The Lions struggled for a match point as Elverado went on a four-point run, but it wasn’t enough. Lange ended the match with a kill the Falcons were unable to defend. The Lions came out on top, winning the second set 25-13

Mavigliano had a team-leading 10 kills tonight. Howerton had six kills and four aces for the Lions. Hunsaker followed Howerton with three aces. Addison Wallace had 14 assists to contribute to Lion’s win. 

When asked about the team’s performance after Labor Day weekend, Coach Nathan Emrick responded, “We did as expected. There were some moments that weren’t clean, but we are going to fix it at practice. It was good to start the week off with a win, and prepare us for our games later in the week”. 

Tonight’s win brings the Lions’ record to 10-1 on the year, which is their best start in over a decade. The Lions take on Massac at home on Thursday, September 9, then continue to play on Saturday, September 11, in the 1st Annual Carlyle Lady Indians Volleyball Tournament with games at 9:00, 10:00, and 1:00.