GREAT FALLS, Montana – Despite career-highs from Tori Edwards and Brooke Kaawa, the No. 24 Lewis-Clark State Volleyball team fell to Carroll College in five sets (25-14, 23-25, 15-25, 26-24, 15-12) in the first match of the Frontier Conference Tournament. The Warriors end their season with a record of 20-11.

"Seasons rarely end the way anyone wants," coach Shaun Pohlman said. "That's the competitors in us wanting more. These are the times we need to keep the big picture in mind and see the strides we have made to help propel this program forward.

"We have back-to-back winning records. We were one win away from a regular-season title and maintaining our place in the top 25 and we did that in just two years while bringing 17 new players into the fold," Pohlman said. "We are on our way back to getting this program back to being a national powerhouse and I'm excited for our future."

Morgan Ness put the Warriors on the board to cut the deficit to 2-1, and an attack error gave LC State a 3-2 lead. Ness tapped a free ball over the net to tie the set 4-4, but the Fighting Saints took control to take the set 25-14.

A Saints errors gave LC the early lead in the second set, but a big block by Carroll tied things up 1-1. Ness kept things tied at 2-2 and a ball handling error put the Warriors in front 3-2. Edwards went off the block at 5-3, but the Saints pulled ahead again. A kill by Ness was followed by an ace by Elyse Booker and two Saints errors to tie the set 12-12, but Carroll answered with two-straight. Edwards sent down a kill and Jess Ruffing dealt an ace to knot the score at 14-14 before Edwards gave LC State the lead with a kill.

Edwards kept the Warriors in front by a slight edge at 16-15 and Kaawa stretched it to two points at 17-15 to force a Carroll timeout. Edwards and Sydney Lawrence teamed up for a block to make it three in a row at 18-15. Two Carroll errors and a kill by Channa Hart gave the Warriors a 21-6 advantage, and Hart kept LC State in the lead with a kill at 23-20. Carroll fought back within one at 24-23, but Ness closed the door to tie the match 1-1 with a 25-23 set win.

Carroll struck first in the third set, but Kaawa answered with a kill to even the set 1-1. Lawrence and Kaawa put up a block to keep it tied 2-2 and Lawrence put the Warriors in front with a kill. Booker served an ace to make it 8-4. Kaawa put together three-straight kills to extend the lead to 14-8. A kill by Edwards brought the advantage to 18-13 and forced a Carroll timeout. A Ness solo block grew the advantage to 20-13, and Hart and Ewards denied the Saints a second-straight time. Edwards and Ness went back-to-back to make it set point at 24-13, and Hart ended it at 25-15 to give the Warriors a 2-1 lead.

Kaawa kept the Warriors momentum going with a kill to open the fourth set. Hart tied things up 2-2.  A pair of kills by Edwards and an attack error knotted the score at 6-6 until Kaawa put the Warriors back in front at 10-9. Ruffing served up an ace before a block by Lawrence and Kaawa to tie the set 13-13, but the Saints rallied for six-straight to take a 19-13 lead. Ness tallied a kill and Kaawa and Hart put up a block to keep LC State in the game, trailing 22-19. A Kaawa kill made it three in a row at 22-20. Kaawa tied the set 24-24, but Carroll took the set 26-24.

Edwards and Ruffing went back-to-back to give LC State a 2-1 advantage in the deciding set. Kaawa stretched the run to three. A Kaawa kill was followed by a block by Lawrence and Kaawa to put the Warriors in front 5-2. The Fighting Saints battled to a 6-6 tie before jumping in front 8-6. Ness added a pair of kills to keep the Warriors within striking distance, but Carroll prevailed 15-12.

Edwards and Kaawa led the match with a career-high 20 kills each. Ness added 12. Ruffing handled the setter duties and dished out 48 assists. Brown led the defense with 22 digs, tying her for second all-time in 20+ dig matches with 20. She is now third for digs in a season with 551. Jordan Phelan had a career-best 14 digs, and Edwards notched a double-double with a career-high 12 digs. Lawrence put up four blocks.

The All-Frontier Conference team will be announced after the championship match tomorrow night, and the NAIA Volleyball selection show will take place on Monday at 9 a.m. PT.