Box Score GRINNELL, Iowa – For the fourth time in the past three weeks, the Grinnell College volleyball team has lost a five-set heartbreaker.

The latest of those instances came Saturday as the Pioneers dropped a 3-2 decision to Midwest Conference foe Illinois College at Darby Gymnasium.

The Lady Blues, who improved to 4-2 in the league and 9-11 overall, won by scores of 25-18, 15-25, 25-18, 24-26 and 15-10. Grinnell is now 2-4 in the MWC and 4-20 in all matches.

Claire Weidman '15 had 17 kills to pace Grinnell, while Cheyenne Hickox '15 and Michelle Briggs '13 tallied 11 apiece. Briggs also hit .400 and tallied nine block assists on the day.

Hickox served up two aces, as did Bethine Moore '13 who also contributed 41 assists. Lindsay Fujimoto '15 led the team in digs with 28 and Emma Knatterud-Johnson had 10.

The Lady Blues trailed 11-8 in the first set before rattling off nine consecutive points to all but put the match out of reach.

Knatterud-Johnson got Grinnell off to a quick start in the second set with eight consecutive service points. She had an ace in that span, while Weidman and Briggs both had kills. The Pioneers never looked back en route to tying it at one-set apiece.

Grinnell led 10-8 in the third set before the visitors put up five consecutive points and sailed to victory.

The fourth set was close the entire way with multiple ties. Grinnell took a 20-18 lead on a kill by Hickox, but the visitors came back to knot things at 20-all.

After two more ties, Grinnell reached set point when Knatterud-Johnson served a point for a 24-22 lead. However, the Lady Blues scored two points in a row before an attack error by the visitors and service point by Fujimoto gave Grinnell the two-point victory.

The fifth set was close early, with Grinnell trailing just 7-6 after a block by Moore and Briggs. However, the Lady Blues followed with a 7-1 run to pull away for good.

Grinnell has a pair of road matches next weekend, taking on Ripon College at 7 p.m. Friday and Carroll University at 1 p.m. Saturday.