The Forester women's volleyball team traveled to Mount Vernon, Iowa, to take on first place Cornell College in a Midwest Conference match Saturday afternoon. 
 
The visitors came out fired up and were battling back and forth with the Rams early on in set one. A service ace from senior Lilly Robinson gave the Foresters an 11-8 lead but the home team responded with a 5-0 run to take control of the set. Cornell College eventually closed out the first set with a four-point run and took it 25-17. 
 
Similar to the first set, the teams batted back and forth and Lake Forest broke a 7-7 tie with three in a row 10-7. The Rams countered that with a pair of three-point runs of their own and led 13-11. The Foresters tied the score at 13, but that was the last time of set two the teams were squared up. Cornell closed out the set with a 6-0 run and took the set 25-17 again. 
 
The third set kept the trend of the first two with the teams trading points and Lake Forest leading, this time at 9-7. From there the reigning conference champions took off and went on a dominant 12-0 run to take a 10-point lead. The Foresters battled back and won six straight points to get to within seven, but the Rams closed out the set and the match 25-18. 
 
Freshman Rio Dirksen led Lake Forest with eight kills and added two aces a season-high 12 digs. Fellow freshman Alisa Kevric recorded a match high 15 digs and Robinson added 10.
 
The Foresters (4-13, 1-4 MWC) will be back in action next Wednesday when they host Lawrence University at 7:00 in the Lake Forest College Sports and Recreation Center.