Box Score Carolyn Manley (Holland, Ohio/Springfield H.S.) served up a school record eight aces on Wednesday evening, helping Lourdes to a 25-20, 25-21, 24-26, 25-16 victory over Concordia (Mich.) at Tam-o-Shanter.  With the win, the Gray Wolves have moved into a tie for second place in the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference standings.
 
Manley's eight aces bettered the old school mark of six set in 2011 by Amanda Drew and matched later that season by Brooke Hearn.  She entered the match with just seven service aces in the team's previous 13 contests this year.
 
"Carolyn had a solid match," head coach Greg Reitz stated afterwards.  "They were passing well and she was serving even better than they were passing."
 
Manley got the Gray Wolves going in the opening set with three aces as part of a 5-0 run which put Lourdes on top 6-4, a lead they would not relinquish.  The lead grew to seven, 17-10, following back-to-back setting errors, before the Cardinals battled back.  Concordia would close to within two, 22-20, before Lourdes finally scored the final three points of the set.
 
Concordia took a quick 6-1 lead in the second set following five straight attack errors by the Gray Wolves.  Lourdes fought back, using a 9-3 run to take a 10-9 advantage.  The lead changed hands several times before Lexie Curtis (Toledo, Ohio/Bedford H.S.) and Manley both tallied aces as part of a 7-1 run, putting Lourdes in front 19-13.  The Gray Wolves would hold on to take a 2-0 lead in the match.
 
Manley's serve again gave Lourdes a large lead, this time 10-2, as the third set opened.  Concordia battled back, using an 8-2 run to close within two, 13-11.  After Lourdes rebuilt a five-point advantage, 17-12, the Cardinals scored seven of the next eight points to forge a 19-18 lead.  The teams would trade sideouts heading into extra points before back-to-back Gray Wolf errors allowed Concordia to extend the match.
 
After eight ties and four lead changes in the third set, Lourdes made sure they closed out the contest in the fourth.  Taking advantage of four early errors from the Cardinals, Lourdes built a 5-1 lead and would never trail in the stanza.  The Gray Wolves hit .241, its best set of the match, while gradually increasing the lead before securing the win.
 
"I think we got a gut check tonight and were able to come back and earn the win," Reitz added.  "We started strong but we need to maintain that steady play throughout the match."
 
Stef Comte (Toledo, Ohio/Notre Dame H.S.) led Lourdes with 11 kills and a .450 hitting percentage while Angie Pagan-Perez (Toa Baja, P.R./Bayamon Military Academy) posted a double-double with 11 kills and 10 digs.  Curtis handed out 22 assists while Michi Jimenez (Vega Baja, P.R./Juan Quirindongo Morell H.S.) registered a match-high 23 digs.
 
"We needed this win to bounce back from Saturday's loss (to Aquinas)," Reitz concluded.  "We now have a week off before three tough matches next week."
 
Erica den Boer led Concordia (6-6, 1-4 WHAC) with nine kills while Claire Truskowski notched 27 assists and 11 digs.  Hannah Staples tallied a team-high 17 digs for the Cardinals.
 
Lourdes (8-6, 4-1) begins a three-match road trip next Wednesday (Sept. 24) as the Gray Wolves travel to Dearborn, Mich.  First serve against Michigan-Dearborn is set for 7 p.m. at the UMD Fieldhouse.